《Proof of Existence》 Chapter 1 - The Nameless Man The ringing of the bell was incessant. The bell cried like the funeral bell of a man on death row. All around were charred and gruesomely dismembered bodies. Grand machines of all kinds lie around, some broken, some shattered beyond recognition. If you looked closely they might resemble the saucers and ships of modern alien myth. The sky was blood red and devoid of stars. There were smoking craters spattered around and the ground was a dry and thoroughly scorched earth. Within the smoking wreckage was one man. Strewn out around him were the bodies of comrade and foe alike, but he stood facing the blame of the empty night sky alone. A pure white moon the color of lotus petals shone down, illuminating his pale white hair, and his wide, amber eyes. He turned his back to the red night sky silently. The mourning bell grew faint until it became silent. The nameless man''s solemn voice rang out, clearer than any bell. One word. "Empty." The crushing emptiness swept it into the void, unheard. He released his clenched fist. "Empty." The dry ash in his hand slipped through his fingers and dissolved in the wind. He let his arm drop to his side and collapsed on to his back, his lifeless eyes staring at the moon. "Why do I feel empty?" The red starless void surrounded the white moon on all sides, threatening to suffocate it. He ached like a hole had been ripped through his chest. It felt like something had been taken from him. Something important. A thick smog passed over the moon, covering it completely from sight. "Who am I?" He couldn''t remember. Whenever he tried to, his attention got drawn to that hole in his chest. Almost all his attempts to find out his own name proved fruitless. After pondering a long time, he found that, there was one thing. Something so instinctually ingrained into him that he could never forget. Perhaps this would answer his questions. "Status"
???
Attributes: Will: Red Soul: White
Class (1 slot): None Subclasses (2 slots): Vigor Alchemist(Legendary) Requirements: 500spirit,IntuitionandWisdom Zeroth Psychomancer(Mythic) Requirements: 500Spirit and Intuition
Strength: 634 Endurance: 601 Dexterity: 747 Wisdom: 863 Intuition: 992 Spirit: 452 Charisma: 353 Luck: 329
Blessings: Spoiler: Spoiler Initiate (Common) ... Dragon Slayer (Epic) -(+50) Strength and endurance -(+25) Charisma ... Abyssal Gazer (Uncommon) -(+10) Intuition ... Acknowledgement of Ares(Epic) -Access to the Hall of Champions -(+35) spirit and strength ... Azriel''s Approval (Unique) ... Inheritor of Solomon''s Legacy (Mythic) -Ownership of the Tome of Solomon -Access to the Zeroth Psycomancer andVigor Alchemist classes -(+50) Spirit, intuition and wisdom ... Curses: Spoiler: Spoiler ...Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Abyssal Gazer (Uncommon) -(-10)Wisdom Sworn Enemy of Circe (Epic) -Hunted by followers of Circe -(-20) Wisdom and Intuition ... Contemptof Hades(Unique) ... SoulDamage (Mythic) -(-600) Spirit
SpiritContracts (1 slot): Spoiler: Spoiler SpectralMirror (Epic) -Reflects all elemental arcana of 3rdcircle and below back to the caster Eyes of Veritas (Epic) -Can appraise beings and items -Can see through all deception below Epic rank Indomitable Spirit (Legendary) -Immunity to instant death -Immunity to all mental afflictionsbelow Legend rank -Immunity to hostile life force manipulation below Legend rank
Spellbooks: Grimoire ofElrich theElementalist (Legendary) Requirements: Arcana related class of Epic rank or above, 50 Intuition and Wisdom Tomeof Solomon (Mythic) Requirements: Zeroth Psychomancer class
Notifications:
Your soul has recieved devastating damage. Spirit -600 Your soulattribute is now white. You no longer have a name. Swordmaster (Epic) class has been removed due to soul damage. Grand Magus (Epic)subclass has been removed due to soul damage. Spellsword(Unique)subclass has been removed due to soul damage. Vigor Alchemist (Legendary) Subclassis unavailable due to insufficient requirements. Zeroth Psychomancer (Mythic) Subclassis unavailable due to insufficient requirements. Grimoire ofElrich theElementalist(Legendary) is unavailable due to insufficient requirements. Tome of Solomon (Mythic) isunavailabledue to insufficient requirements.
Of the epic sprawl of text,one thing caught his attention: Dragon Slayer (Epic) "Savanah". Inexplicably, a word left his mouth unconsciously. This alien yet familiar name contained many complex emotions. Warmth filled his chest, just as a deep sadness made that same chest heave irratically. Something tugged at his mind, like it was on the tip of his toungue, yet, to his frustration, it remained out of reach. He desperately tugged at the spool of thread, like acatreaching for a string of yarn on the top of a tall shelf. Finally, that thread of yarn snappedand fell off the shelf straight onto his head. Bits and fragments of memories entered his mind, like a corrupted film filled with static. "Nice to meet you ****" ... "Before **** *** *** fan I used** ** a college student, I always ******* **becoming a doctor so that-" ... "Haha, tell you what. Come backafter you''ve slayed a dragon and maybe I''ll consider it." ... The nameless man felt moisture on his face. He touched his hand to his face and held it up to his eyes. He was surprised to find that he had been crying.
Notification:
You arein the presence of a divine being. You are of insufficientexistence. The pressure weighs upon you.
Suddenly an immense gravity hit the crying man like a sack of bricks, snapping him out of his meloncholic contemplation. His bones felt brittle and his body felt like it would collapseunder its own weight. With the willpower of an olympic athlete, he lifted his head off the ground and peered in front of him. What he saw awe struck him. Afigure with skin the color of ash contrasted ominously with the blood red sky. His eyes were closed peacefullyas he sat in a cross legged position. A three pronged instrument of some kind was planted in the earth by his side and a white snake was coiled around his neck. The air around him seemed to glow and shimmer. Looking at this being gave a duality of conflicting hallucinations. One of astill pond filled with coyfish swimming peacefully under the light of the pale full moon, the other an unstoppable raging flood consuming the earth. Above his head was his identity:
Shiva (Aspect of Destruction)
But that didn''t mean he knew what a "Shiva" was. "Who are you?" The ash colored deityspoke without opening his eyes. "I ask myself that question every day." "Then do you know who I am?" The deity ignored his question. "Look around you, do you not see the beauty surrounding you?" The nameless man dropped his head back to the earth. "I find it scary." "Why are you scared?" "I don''t know where I am." "Ah, so you fear the unkown." The god chuckled lightly. "A common fear of man." The ash colored deity made the first sign of movement since his appearance by waving his hand.
Quest: The Lonely King (???)
The current Champion of Shivalives on the peak of a small, remote, mountain in retirement. Find him and convince him that you are worthy of inheriting his title. Rewards: A spirit contract of ???rank A class of??? rank A clue to your past Failure: None Do you accept? Y/N
"What is this?" The nameless man lifted his head back up to address the deity. "A chance. I wish I could enjoy your company for longer, but I''m quite busy." Shiva stood up and picked up the three pronged instrument by his side. "You''ll find the direction you want togo is over there." The God of Destruction pointed behind himself with his trident, towards a small mountain, barely visible with the night fogconcealing it. The air carried the faint smell of tea leaves as the wind picked up. "Namaste, Nameless one. May you find peace in your mind and strength in your heart." Shiva tapped his trident to the ground. There was a strong gust of windand a brief stillness- And then Shiva was no more. Pressure lifted, the nameless man lay there for a moment, still. He gave his attention back to the notification in the corner of his vision.
Do you accept? Y/N
He sighed with a bone deep weariness. Why is that? "Yes." Afterrememberinghow the diety had called him "nameless one",hecame to the conclusion that not having a name bothered him. He thought deeply on what to call himself, but one name kept bubbling up insistently. The name carried manycomplex emotions, mostly anger. He tried to put it out of his mind and consider other options, but for some reason his obsession with the name would not go away. "Damien." He tasted the word on his lips for a moment before deciding. "My name is Damien."
Notification:
Your name has been updated.
That settled, Damien picked himself up and took stock of his surroundings. Compelled foward, he let his feet guide him. He kicked over a gruesome corpse, and a cloud of ash swelled. Coughing, he reached down and picked up a broken blade and examined it:
Infragilis Voluntatis (Legendary) {Broken}
Effects:[Legendary Self Repair], [Legendary Durability], [Legendary Sharpness], [Greater Vitality], [Clear Mind], [Bulster Aura], [Unshakeable] Abilities: [The Will Is Sharper Than Any Blade] Durability: 0/9,999
It looked to be a nice blade before it had broken. But now the thin blade was chipped and filled with cracks.After deeming it useless he almost threw it to the side, but a sudden urge overtook him. Hestowed the broken blade in the empty sheathe at his side. Shaking his head to clear it, Damien turned and began to walk in the direction that incomprehensible deity had pointed. Chapter 2 - Pearl in the Sky The melancholy and dread weighed on Damien like physical chains of dull iron, but he trudged on, regardless. It all became a blur as he walked on, passing by a world of black and gray. The ash and dust buffeted him, the taste of charcoal invaded his mouth. It all barely registered to him. With every single step the energy seemed to be leached from him by his own emotional fatigue. Why not lie down until he became like the dust that berated him so strongly now? Despite his lack of spirit, his feet walked on, refusing to give up when he had already, so long ago. On the edge of the world of black and gray, the vibrant color of green sprawled out, and added life to the dull palette. Eventually Damien stepped out of the world of ash and dust into a landscape of small sprawling green hills and thickets of blackberry bushes. A gust of wind shook the dense greenery, made it dance and sway- Made it come alive. Damien couldn''t help but gawk at the rolling fields of grass swaying in the breeze, and the large and gentle trees shaking their hair at the sky. At some point during his journey it had become day, and the sky was a clear blue. An innocent smile bloomed on Damien''s lips as he took in the breathtaking scene of nature. His shoulders felt lighter, his heart clearer. The clean scent of the air stimulated and reinvigorated his tired mind. There was just one problem- Damien was hungry. He gripped his stomach as it grumbled, and felt the pain of hunger for what felt like the first time- no, was the first time. Damien frowned pensively while looking around. Was their anything he could eat in this endless sea of foliage? He instinctively knew: The grass and trees would provide no nourishment, despite their beauty. His eyes fell on the blackberry thickets. He walked forward and picked a single berry. He brought it to his nose and sniffed, then tentatively brought it to his mouth and took a small bite. His eyes widened- It was delicious. Damien picked and ate berries with delight under the clear blue sky, in perfect harmony with the world of green that was dancing to the tune of the wind. After a buffet of the bounty of nature, Damien sprawled himself across the field of green, staring at the bright blue sky with a wide, joyous smile on his face. Eventually, under the watch of the warm, lazy sun, Damien fell asleep surrounded by nature.
The shrill cries of women screaming and children crying could be heard throughout the night. The sound of timber burning and beams of wooden structures crumbling in on themselves could be heard all along the street. A steady burning, destroying what had taken years to build in a matter of hours.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The night sky was filled with the smoke of a bonfire the size of a small city. The smell of sulfur was as suffocating as the thick clouds of smokebleeding from the once beautiful city structures. Damien coughed as he ran along the street, a blur among the frantic mob of people fleeing chaotically in every direction. He pushed aside pedestrians and jumped over burning debris, apprehension burning in his heart. A smoking monster of flame and earth broke through a house in front of him, sending wood splinters and bits of glass in every direction. The demon roared at the night sky, ash and flame spewing from its gaping maw. It''s infernal eyes locked onto Damien, drool of lava dripping and sizzling as it melted holes in the pavement. Damien unsheathed the blade at his side. A prismatic luminescence pierced the veil of smoke around Damien as he held his blade between himself and the smouldering demon in front of him. The demonrushedDamien, a mass of hellish fire was charging at him like a freight train, it''s flaming eyes glowing with intelligent malice.
Damien''s eyesflew open. Herolled to his feet and unsheathed his sword in one fluid motion. He looked down at the useless blade in his hands, and then down at his feet that were in a battle stance with perplexity. Then he took in his surroundings and realized where he was, and that he had been, in fact, dreaming. The sun had set long ago, leaving the moon in its place. But the celestial body was not alone. A thousand gliterring gems shone in the sky like white diamonds; a breathtaking entourage for the moon''s shiningluminescence. "Beautiful isn''t it?" Agentle voice asked from beside him. Damien looked to his side and noticed a pale and slender naked woman bathing in the pale moonlight, gazing at the night sky in wonder. "I never tire of the mystery that lies beyond that infinite void." She seemed to be gazing somewhere far off, farther than even the moon or the stars in the night sky. Damien sheathed his useless blade and sat down silently, joining the mysterious woman in gazing at the night sky. The gentle breeze disturbing the grass was warm, and there was the faint sound of a single cricket somewhere nearby. "My name''s Damien." The naked woman inspected Damien thoughtfully. "Mm, that doesn''t feel right. You don''t look like a Damien to me." Damien hesitated for a moment. "I didn''t use to be... I think. What''s your name?" The nameless woman giggled. "You''re a strange one. My name''s Margo." "Margo..." Damien repeated absently while staring at the naked moon. "That''s a pretty name. It fits you." "Thanks." They continued to gaze at the night sky silently for awhile. "Do you think names have meaning?" Damien suddenly asked. "Hmm?" Margo answered without looking away from the night sky. "Yeah, at least I think so. If something doesn''t have a name, then how do you know what it is?" Damien cupped his chin, deep in thought. Margo interrupted his brooding. "What were you dreaming about? You looked tense while you were sleeping." "I was a stranger in a burning city, looking for something that I couldn''t find." Damien shuddered when he remembered the end. "And then a monster attacked me." "A monster?" "Yeah, it was terrifying. It was huge and made of fire. But for some reason, I was getting ready to fight it." "Huh." Margo replied simply. The sound of the lone cricket was all that could be heard for a long time. "You know, the moonsort of looks like a pearl in the sky doesn''t it?" Damien contemplated. Margo smiled,flashing a row of perfect white teeth. "Indeed, it does." Damien stretched and yawned tiredly. "Hey, Margo, you don''t mind if I go back to sleep do you?" Margo looked on as Damien closed his eyes and smiled gently. "Not at all." Silence returned to the peaceful landscape as a naked woman listened to the sound of a cricket under the light of the pale full moon. "Goodnight, Damien." Margo whispered. Damienslept a peaceful, dreamless sleep that night. Chapter 3 - Out of this World Damien woke to the chirping of birds. He stretched and wiped his eyes sleepily. The sky was showing the first signs of daylight, indicating that it was early morning. Damien picked himself up. He squinted towards the mountain he was supposed to be chasing after. It didn''t seem to be getting any closer, if his eyesight was to be trusted. He sighed tiredly and continued his questionable journey. He passed through thickets of blackberries and climbed over small hills. He walked through a field of tall grass before breaking through and coming upon a worn dirt path. "It''s a road." Damien muttered. Of the shattered fragments of memories he had, this was undoubtedly one of the most intact. "Where are the people?" In his memory, roads were for transportation in big wooden boxes people called "carts", and usually the roads would be filled constantly with passing merchant caravans. But the road was deserted now. It had been awhile since this road had seen any maintenance. Damien looked up and down the roads, then back at the distant mountain top. The quest could wait. Roads led to cities, and cities meant people. Excitement flooded Damien as his legs filled with Herculean strength. Kicking up a storm of dust, Damien became a blur.
Two guards sat huddled around a small fire outside the city walls in the dark. "Fucking hell." A guard cursed bitterly as he warmed his hands on the fire. "They docked my pay again. Said it was a lack of city funds this time." The younger guard looked at him in amazement. "You mean you didn''t hear about what happened in Hoshi?" The first guard responded with a confused scowl. "What? What does that place have anything to do with my pay?" "Are you living under a rock, Ted? The whole blasted city was destroyed!" The exclaiming guardsman looked around cautiously before continuing in a hushed whisper. "...by demons." Ted''s eyes grew wide. "Bloody hell, Paul! Don''t say anymore before you curse the both of us." Ted glared at paul. "You know what they say." Another voice chimed in. "What do they say?" Ted and Paul simultaneously looked in the direction of the offending presence. The campfire reflected a pair of vermillion eyes. Both guards screamed in terror. ""Demon!"" The pair of eyes walked out of the shadows, revealing a short man with unkempt, snow white hair, a dirty white t-shirt, and tattered jeans. "Fuck," Ted cursed, holding his hand on his heart. "you scared the shit out of me, young man." "We thought you were a de-" Paul coughed akwardly at Ted''s glare. "What I mean to say, is that we thought you were a monster." Ted stood up, his face serious. "Anyways, forget all that. State your name and business." "My name is Damien. I''m here because there''s people here." Ted looked at Damien with an increasingly suspicious glare. "Paul, hand me the scroll." Paul dug around in his pockets for a second before handing over an aged parchment. Ted tore up the scroll, violet arcanic symbols filling his eyes.
Damien (Human)
It was slightly strange that he didn''t have a last name, but so far he didn''t seem to be lying. Ted relaxed a little. Damien scratched his chin. "I''m kind of thirsty. Can I pass?" "Yeah, whatever. Go ahead, stranger." Ted said with disinterest. "Welcome to Carnation." "Thank you." Damien bowed and walked past the two guardsmen. Ted''s eyes followed the white haired stranger as he entered the city. After the strange man was out of sight Ted spoke up. "That man has an ominous name." Paul''s eyes grew wide. "Then why didn''t you stop him?" Ted laughed. "There''s no way that man is that monster."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Damien strolled along the city streets at night. Torches lit up the cobble road and buildings made of stone and wood. Save a few denizens of the night and the night patrol, the city slept. When Damien turned into a back alley, the only light came from an open establishment filled with racous laughter and loud swearing. Golden light spilled out into the alleyway, where a few people were chatting and smoking tabacco cheerfully. Entering the building, Damien''s senses were assaulted by loud drunks and the smell of alcohol and piss. Damien''s nose curled in displeasure as he entered the bar. The environment was so unpleasant to Damien he almost turned around on the spot, until he noticed food being served by scantily clad women. His eyes locked onto a bowl of stew and his belly rumbled. Running full speed for a day really worked up an appetite. He noticed another important detail. All around, from gamblers rolling dice in the corner, to people being served food, everyone was exchanging these metal disks. Money! Damien remembered. You needed money to buy food. His hand reached towards his jean pockets- Just then somebody bumped into Damien. "Get out of the way! What are you doing standing in the doorway!" Damien''s hand became a blur. "Sorry, sir." Damien apologized to the disgruntled man with a slight bow, smiling to himself slyly. The baldy with a scar on his forehead snorted disdainfully and walked away, not even sparing Damien a glance. Damien approached a barmaid and asked a question. "Excuse me, how much is a bowl of that-?" He pointed towards a customer eating a steaming bowl of stew. The barmaid scrutinized his ratty appearance with a skeptical look. "It''s five coppers for stew, two for a loaf of bread, ten for a room, and five silvers for company." "Do you have any water?" Damien asked eagerly. "Water is free for paying customers." The barmaid stated bluntly. "So I can have water if I have this?" Damien flourished the coin purse he had filched from the rude bald man and dumped its contents into his open palm. Thebarmaid''s attitude changed immediately, her eyes were glued to thepile of silvers in his hand. "Of course sir, one bowl of stew and a water." She fluttered her eyelashes and flipped her hair suggestively. "And is there anything else you would like sir?" Damien brought a finger to his lips thoughtfully. "Also I''d like a room too, please." "Will you be needing any company with that room, sir?" The barmaid asked with shining eyes. "Company?" Damien asked. "Like someone to talk to?" "That''s one way to put it." "Then yes. Can I have someone nice to talk to? I''ve been extremely lonely." The barmaid winked at him. "I know exactly what you mean, sir." After attending to Damien, the barmaid approached one of her girls. "You''re up, Shelley." She nodded towards the poorly groomed man with white hair eagerly gulping down his bowl of stew. *** Damien was let into his room by a shy, delicate young woman. He looked around the room with a perplexed expression. "Where''s the bed?" Shelley flushed red in embarrasment. "S-sorry, sir. There is no bed. This is where we sleep." Saying that she walked over to a pile of straw with a shabby blanket and sat down, looking akward. Sighing despondently, Damien sat down and leaned against the wall. "You know I haven''t- why are you taking off your clothes?" Shelley froze in the middle of taking off her top. "Am I not to your liking, sir?" Damien tilted his head quizzically "What?I just find it strange that you''re taking off your clothes." Shelley stared at the man dumbly. "Anyways, as I was saying-" *** After making small talk for awhile, Damien yawned contentedly, turned over and fell asleep. Shelley looked at the dirty mansleeping peacefully. Her face flushed red, slightly miffed at being rejected, despite not wanting to have sex with him.
Damien turned the page and took a drag on his cigarette before letting out a cloud of smoke. *Cough* *cough* "Dude, stop blowing that shit in my face!" The distracted youth apologized absentmindedly without taking his eyes off of the page. "Sorry, Dylan. Here just take this, I''m done." Dylan accepted the cigarette with a frown and took a puff. "I know I keep harping you on this, but why do you keep smoking? It''s gotta be hell on your lungs after what you went through." The sound of a bell ringing could be heard from below the floor of the school roof. Damien closed The Illiad, stood up and slung his backpack over one shoulder after stowing away his book. "C''mon, we''re going to be late." Dylan flicked away the cigarette, picked up his own backpack and did a short jog to catch up with his aloof friend. "Ugh, I have civics next." Dylan complained. Damien smiled. "What''s wrong with civics? I much prefer it over algebra any day." Dylan scrunched up his face. "But it''s taught by mister Smith. I swear the old man has it out for me." Damien lifted up the tile, revealing the secret entrance leading down into the school. "I don''t know what you mean. I am a model student." Dylan chuckled. "Whatever you say, loser." They both sprayed themselves with cheap calogne to mask the smell of cigarettes. The delinquent students climbed down into the school janitor''s closet. When Damien climbed down, he put the tile back into place. Dylan cracked the door, then stuck his head out to check for witnesses. After making sure it was all clear, Dylan and Damien parted ways and headed to their respective classes. *** After school students scattered out of the school in all directions like cockroaches. Dylan approached Damien on his way out. "Hey man, you wanna go check out a garage sale? I found an ad on Craigslist. I''m getting a really good feeling about this one." Damien perked up visibly. "Yeah, what are you waiting for? Lead the way." Dylan chuckled. "Alright, but anything Superman I get dibs, though." "Keep your Super-garbage, but don''t touch my Batman comics." Damien retorted as they walked. "Okay, okay." Dylan put his hands behind his head. "Just don''t insult Superman like that. He''s my hero." Dylan paused thoughtfully. "You collect Batman comics, but why is he your hero?" "I wouldn''t say that. If I had to pick a hero, it would probably be Achilles." "Achilles? Why''s that?" "He''s an invincible warrior who''s only weak point is his ankle. It''s poetic." "Pfft. That''s just like Superman except he can''t fly and shoot lasers out of his eyes. Achilles is a lame knockoff, with an awful weakness." "..." When they arrived at the garage sale Damien whistled in appreciation. "You weren''t kidding man." "I told you, when will you stop questioning my spidey-sense? I can smell an original Superman a mile away. And this, my friend, is a gold mine." The two boys went home that day, each having something new to add to their growing comic book collections.
When Damien recalled his strangely vivid dream the next morning, he realized he was not originally from this world. Chapter 4 - Change Damien wondered where Dylan was right now; if he too had been whisked to this fantasy world. Damien lay staring at the ceiling pensively, pieces of his fractured memory shifting and integrating into a clearer picture. He felt himself becoming more cognizant of the situation he was in now. Pieces of knowledge from his life on his home world became more whole. While snippets of memories of his distant past life on another world reformed, he couldn''t help but notice a frustrating detail. "Why don''t I feel like myself?" It felt like he was viewing things through the eyes of someone else, yet he knew instinctually, that it was him from his memories. But like two opposing magnets, crucial fragments of memory refused to surface and integrate, seemingly claiming that they did not belong to him; that he was another person, and not the "him" from his memories. After reaching the end of his patience, Damien pushed aside those questions for another time. His mind was brought back to his meeting with Shiva and the quest he had recieved. Restoring his memory was his number one priority at the moment. While he had gained some of his memories of Earth, he still lacked almost all memories of himself, and even more of this other world. Damien''s pondering was interrupted by a cute yawn, as the girl from last night stretched and sat up beside him. Memories from the night before surfaced as he realized he had ordered a prostitute without realizing it. "Good morning, Shelley." Damien said politely. "..." Shelley ignored him and stood up, turning her back to him. "Breakfast is free with the room. Come downstairs if you want any." She said icily as she walked away and slammed the door. Sighing, Damien got up and went downstairs for his free breakfast. *** After leaving a tip to a surprised, but grateful server, Damien departed the dingy brothel. Along the way, he was bothered by a beggar, who he promptly kicked away in disgust. After leaving the dark and twisting alleyways, he came upon the main road. The sun shown down from up high; the heat of noon bearing down.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. People crowded the main road, browsing stalls and windowshopping. All of the townsfolk seemed to be cheery on the surface, but there was an undercurrent of anxiety in the air that Damien didn''t fail to notice. Damien walked out of the shadows into the light, with his hands in his pockets and his head down. He took a left; the opposite direction of the west gate he had come from the night before. He just walked the streets and paid attention. Half out of curiosity and half out of hope that inspiration would strike. He eavesdropped on conversations as he navigated the chaotic crowd. "Do you know why there''s no traffic from Hoshi?" Damien stopped in the middle of the street, garnering weird looks from the people that parted around him. "I heard the Traitor was seen at Hoshi before- you know..." "Hush! Don''t say anything more. You know what they say..." Damien waited for a few moments, but the conversation didn''t pick back up. He continued strolling down the main street, lost in thought. Hoshi... *** A day of walking around and eavesdropping hadn''t given Damien any leads, but he did learn a bit about the city he was living in. While on the prowl for information, he managed to find a much more reputable looking establishment to stay the night. He was greeted by a jolly middle aged woman as he emptied the contents of his ill-gotten coinage onto the counter. "How much for a night and a meal?" The Hostess smiled from ear to ear in response. *** An uneventful meal, and a quick wash and Damien was in a proper bed. He stared out at the moon from the window, as an urge overtook him; he reached into his pocket, but it came up empty. "No smokes, huh?" He sighed as he put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "I''ve never heard of "smokes" before." Said a delicate voice. Damien shot out of bed. "Who are you?" A pale naked woman leaned against the windowsill as she gazed upon the sleeping city. "My name is Margo." "No who- look, why are you here?" Margo cast her gaze towards Damien. "Hmm, you look different." Damien met her eyes and glared at her. "Do you enjoy toying with me?" "I don''t know what you mean..." Margo turned her attention back towards the city. "But if you want me to leave, I won''t linger any longer." Her tone contained a hit of sadness. She turned and looked Damien deep in the eyes, her blue eyes clear and steady. "But our paths will cross again," A demure smile played across her lips. Without any fanfare, Margo disappeared. The bell of the church rang throughout the night, indicating the change of the hour. Goosebumps erupted all over Damien''s body. He walked over to the window and closed the wooden shutters. He lay in bed that night, tossing and turning, trying to ignore the dread building in his chest. It took a long time, but Damien finally fell asleep at the midnight toll of the church bell.