《The Cult》


 Prologue

    Wandering along the winding emerald path through the forest, a man absent-mindedly made his way towards the city, reminiscing about the first time he had ever visited it. He had been with his father at that point, and they had been travelling for the same reason as he did now. Edward had lived peacefully for almost his entire life, in seclusion and self-sufficiency. He was generally able to get by without encountering others. However, after a particularly bad harvest, he had been forced to take a journey into the city to replenish his stocks and was shocked at what he saw. Government officials, guards and noblemen were swarming the streets, beating women and children for crimes they obviously hadn''t committed. Urchins hid in the shadows, and men¡¯s eyes flitted nervously, betraying their fear and paranoia. In the city square were several execution tools. From nooses hung rotting bodies, where pyres had been were now ash, and a head was lying on the ground next to a chopping block. An old body was being removed from one of the nooses in preparation for another. Edward held his nose in disgust and dashed down a street that would take him to the market. Almost having reached it, he saw a group of guards harassing a woman who was protecting her child. When he tried to step in to help them, the men drew swords on him.


    ¡°Lower class citizens have no right to judge us. We''re not accusing you, so get lost.¡± Edward could tell these people were trouble, so despite being hurt from their comment about his class, he hurried on his way instead of correcting them. Buying what he needed and going home, he passed many such forms of injustice as he walked through town and forest alike. He calmed slightly as he entered the beautifully lit forest pathway that led to his home. Further down the road, a hooded man stopped him.


    ¡°You were noble today in stepping up to those guards, but you will not be able to get away with the same kind of intervention later. This problem is much more deep-seated than it appears on the surface. If you wish to continue, then you must be prepared to wage war.¡± The mysterious man went on his way silently, and a confused Edward carried on walking home.


    When he got there, he was met with a horrendous sight. All his livestock had been slaughtered, and his fields and house had been burned to the ground, the orange light from the setting sun merging with the black of the smoke and ashes. Embers still glowed here and there, winking and taunting at him. There was a letter nailed to a post outside, that read:Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    This property has been forcefully collected as a tax for the Emperor. Anything of great value has been collected, and anything contributing to your wealth has been destroyed. You need not do anything, as it is the Lord''s justice.


    Grenitier of the Emperor''s Court


    At this, Edward was finally furious. He almost cut himself on his dagger as he was equipping it, and did cut himself as he was cleaning it. He was surprised to see the small wound heal in an instant but was too angry to care. He was looking for a fight.


    Edward carefully wrote out a threatening note, leaving it unsealed but taking a candle with him, and stood wait outside the city walls. It wasn''t long before a group of the emperor''s men came out boasting about the public hanging of another innocent man. Edward struck out at them, planting his dagger deep in the neck of one man, and taking his bow to shoot another from five feet away before the others were aware of his presence. He quickly retrieved his dagger and got ready for a fight, but they simply ran off. He shouted after them, ¡°Cowards!¡± and sealed his note with the wax seal of one of the dead men, leaving it on his corpse, and fled to the mountains that bordered the empire on all sides, taking up residence in one of the many caves.


    ¡°Well, it''s not exactly my old farmhouse, but for a base of terror operations, it''s pretty good.¡± He chuckled. Edward thought he could hear running water, so he decided to check out the full extent of his chosen cave, being very careful in case it was one an animal still lived in. Amazingly, despite being a remarkably extensive cave reminiscent of a home in itself, there were no signs of recent life. He wandered through passage after passage marvelling at the cave¡¯s beauty. Thankfully, there was also a natural water fountain leading into a pool not very far in. He wasted no time in taking a drink and found that the water was very clean and tasty. After refreshing himself, he took up exploring the caves once more. There were plenty of routes he could use to escape if need be, and there was another ¡®room¡¯ at the end of all of them, containing a massive pool of dirtier water on the western side, taking up a third of the space.


    ¡°I''m glad I found this place, it''s almost perfect!¡± He mused before setting down for bed in a small alcove that was part of a group that seemed to be carved into a long, wide hallway.

 In Which Our Hero Learns To Survive

    The next morning, Edward woke up surprisingly comfortable, aside from a jagged rock sticking into him. ¡®Right, the first task is to steal some comfortable bedding.¡¯ He thought to himself as he carefully stretched to avoid his cramped bones and muscles protesting. He washed his face in the clean pool and thought about where he could ethically source bedding. The only place he could think of was one of the government houses where the guards slept.


    ¡°Well, nothing wrong with a life of luxury now I''ve had everything taken from me, right?¡± He could probably also find some nice clothes and weapons there. ¡®I also need to find someone to help me. I''m already starting to talk to myself.''


    Edward stopped dead at the entrance to the city, after seeing a wanted poster with his face on it, and a bounty of 500 gold pieces. ¡®Nice to know I''m worth more to the government than most people earn in a year.¡¯ He chortled. ¡®Right, I guess I can''t use the conventional entrances and such now.¡¯ He made his way around to the rough point on the wall where his target house would be on the other side and began climbing. He fell straight through the thatched roof as soon as he lowered himself onto it, providing a convenient escape route. Seeing as it was daytime, he had a little less time before someone would spot the rope, but the guard would be on duty, and wouldn''t be sleeping on the bedding, so it worked out better really. Looking around the wooden house, Edward quickly found a knapsack and packed up the soft bedding, fancy clothes ¨C which were an attractive shade of blue, with military design ¨C and spare weaponry into it. He used a knife to carve an ¡®e¡¯ into the table and took the bag of coins that was lying on it, before climbing back up over the wall and escaping to his cave. After setting up his bedding, he took his new clothes and searched for a different cave with clean water that he could use to bathe in. There was one not too far up the small, snowy pass, and he marked it on a makeshift map that showed only the cave systems, not to scale, in a way that one could only use it by counting the number of caves on one side. The cave he found had a third, smaller pool, perfect for washing clothes, and both had good filtration such that the pools would be clean again whenever he needed to use them. Looking at his long black hair and goatee beard in his reflection, he decided that once he was clean and wore nice clothes, he would look like a noble ¨C very different from his likeness on the posters, so he would be safe to just walk in once they had had enough time to recover from today''s incident. Obviously though, if they''d just suffered a robbery and an unfamiliar man walked in with nice clothes and a lot of money, people would get suspicious. Edward''s mind wandered off, and he realised that he hadn''t picked up any helpers. ¡®Oh well, once I can walk inconspicuously in the streets, I''ll be able to meet people and convince them to join.¡¯ He got out of the pool, got dressed into his newly acquired clothes, and washed his old ones. He decided that for the moment at least, he would wear his nicer clothes during the daytime, and his old ones at night. He also decided that he would try and obtain a mask so that he could create a new criminal identity and have it wipe the focus away from his old one. Having made these plans, and having nothing to occupy his time with otherwise, he went to sleep.


    As he had gone to sleep during the day, Edward woke up at night. He had an idea that if he could steal a musical instrument, he could pass the time more easily. Luckily, the Empire had installed their own theatres in each city, which they used to indoctrinate people with their convenient faith. Edward had enjoyed watching the plays at the weekend with his father, but the Empire had not become as extreme as it was now, and characters who would now be depicted as absolute evil were at the time merely lovable antagonists. Edward¡¯s favourite character had been one such, Cuinus, the charming god of mischief from the Old Times, who hindered the heroes¡¯ progress out of love for his family. He was characterised by swirling trails of plant life twisting around his mask and in the end, was able to force the heroes to pay their respects at graves from his time, and coexist with his family peacefully. It would be interesting to see how his story had changed.


    Edward changed into his old clothes, which were darker and easier to move in, and set out for the city''s theatre. He climbed over the wall so that he didn''t have to deal with night shift gate guards, but was able to walk casually straight into the theatre, since there was no one around, and very few people were suspicious anyway. A poor man walking into the theatre at night was not an uncommon sight in the city.


    Once inside, Edward made his way into the upstairs galleries to get a better view of where he needed to get to. Looking around at the intricately carved stonework and regal red and gold walls, he was able to pick out an entrance to the backstage area that was easily accessible from above. He waited until the last volunteer had left, and jumped through the entrance, breaking his fall with a roll which brought him to a silent halt next to an open locker. Hearing the janitor arriving to lock up, he quickly hid inside it. It was a little more cramped than it had seemed, and he was made very uncomfortable, but he managed to hold his breath until the janitor was out of earshot, at which point, he fell out, with a relatively large weight pushing him to the floor. As he tried to get up, he realised that it was a human being that he had previously been sharing the locker with.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°That was a fairly comfortable hiding spot until you came along! Don''t you know not to take another thief''s spot?¡± Said a female voice from right behind his ear.


    ¡°I''m sorry, I''m new to this, and I needed a spot quickly. That locker door just happened to be open and right next to me. Besides, isn''t leaving the door open like that a bad idea?¡± He tried to explain. The woman relaxed slightly but then got even more volatile.


    ¡°I left it how I found it so that it would look more natural. Then you went and ruined it even further by closing the door! If I didn''t know better, I''d think you were trying to sabotage me.¡±


    ¡°Well, it still worked didn''t it? He didn''t notice either of us, and we can go ahead and accomplish each of our goals.¡± Edward again tried to reason with her.


    ¡°Hmm, I guess if you don''t even know the basics, you must be new... I know, let''s make this into a challenge. If you''re able to obtain both of our targets on your own, I''ll teach you more about thievery, but if I get them first, I''ll give you what you deserve for ruining my spot. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°It sounds a little unfair,¡± Complained Edward, ¡°but I''m up for it anyway.¡± She helped him up and shook his hand.


    ¡°You''re a good sport then. On three. One... Two...¡± She darted off through the doorway, shouting back, ¡°Three!¡± Edward calmly made his way over to the props and costumes. The woman hadn''t told him what her target was, but then she hadn''t asked him what his was either, and since it was a little unusual, he figured he probably had the advantage there. He managed to pick out the mask for Cuinus, by looking at the script ¨Cas he had suspected, the character had completely changed into an outright evil one. The plant life that twisted around his mask had become darker and sharper, while the eye sockets had been made more diamond-shaped. The script reflected this change with lines such as ¡®I will see the end of this world.¡¯ Edward also grabbed a set of Pan Pipes, then, he wandered off in the direction the woman had gone, hoping to somehow get her target from her. He found her at the entrance to the treasury. She dropped down from the ceiling to confront him.


    ¡°I thought you might be coming here. I''ve already stolen everything of value here, so there''s no point in you looking for your target, and, of course, I''ve already got mine, too. Are you ready for your punishment?¡± Edward smiled to himself, now knowing he''d already won.


    ¡°Actually, I was wondering if you might give me your target. I''ve already got mine, and the only way to break this stalemate is for you to give me yours.¡± The confident smile on her face dropped to a dangerous frown.


    ¡°And why couldn''t you give me yours? I have plenty of wealth here to pay for it, while you have nothing worthy of mine.¡±


    ¡°My target is something you can''t obtain. I was looking for three things: a mask, a musical instrument, and a person willing and able to help me in fighting the government.¡± At this, her face changed to one of surprise. ¡°A mask and a musical instrument would indeed be easy for you to find, but the only potential comrade around here is you. Since I am the leader, I cannot join again, and if you were to carry on pursuing my target, then I would have already fulfilled my conditions. In other words, from the start, you had no chance of winning, while I had a slim chance. So, are you gonna let me win, or is it a draw?¡± Edward caught his breath after his long monologue while she was thinking.


    ¡°Oh, fine. It''s no fun if no one wins, and it''s quite obvious that you outsmarted me. Here''s my target. I was literally only after the money.¡± She handed a large sack of coins to him, before continuing. ¡°I will also join your cause, I think it''s noble enough, and because that means you fulfil the winning conditions, I''ll give you thievery lessons too.¡± Edward smiled at her.


    ¡°Thanks. One more thing, do you have anywhere to live? It would be nice to have someone living on the inside, but if you''d prefer, we have a bit of an HQ out in the caves.¡± Her eyes lit up for a moment, but then she sank back into a dejected stance.


    ¡°That''s nice of you to offer, but it''s best not to show your base to people you don''t trust.¡± Edward smiled and chuckled a little to himself.


    ¡°That reaction is more than enough to prove I can trust you. If you can get us out of here, I''ll show you the way.¡± She laughed also.


    ¡°How were you going to get out if you didn''t have me?¡±


    ¡°The same way I always have so far, through a hole in the roof.¡±


    She coughed amusingly.


    ¡°Well, at least you had a plan, I suppose. Come on, I''ll show you the real way out.¡± She said, winking. ¡°My name''s Ella, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Edward. Although pretty soon I''ll probably be changing it. Maybe something like Cuinus to piss off those Imperial zealots.¡± Ella finished picking a lock and opened the door.


    ¡°They both suit you. I think I''ll call you ¡®Little Apprentice'' though. At least until you become slightly more proficient.¡± She motioned him out and followed him to the cave system.

 In which our hero consolidates his position.

    ¡°Well, this seems like a convenient enough place.¡± Ella proclaimed, looking around at the cave they had made home. ¡°Running water, wide rooms, good insulation. It''s practically a home already. I see you''ve started a fire pit already too. So where am I sleeping then? I''ve had a rough day.¡± She certainly seemed like it, and Edward wasn''t going to argue, so he showed her to the alcoves where he had set up his bed.


    ¡°If you want to curl up in one of these, that''ll have to do for the moment. I''m afraid you¡¯ll have to steal your own bedding if you want to be comfortable. I worked hard for this.¡± She tensed a little but seemed to appreciate his reasoning.


    ¡°This¡¯ll do, but in that case, do you mind if I wash first? It''ll help me get comfortable.¡± She said, heading towards the water.


    ¡°Stop! That''s the drinking water. I''ve got another cave a little way up as a bathhouse. This map should lead you there. Just count the number of caves on the left side from here. The smaller pool is for washing clothes, but I haven''t got any spares other than my daytime clothes, so I would advise against that for now.¡± He managed to stop her just before she started undressing, and she looked a little embarrassed and glad that he did, turning around and following the map out of the cave. He decided to go to sleep now, and bathe when he woke up so he could be appropriate for visiting the city for supplies, thinking that it would have been two days since he''d stolen from the guards, so it would be okay to go out during the daytime. When he woke, however, he realised that this was not a clever idea. He had discussed it with Ella, and she reminded him that it was only the next day, not two days past, and even if it were, it would still be fresh in the minds of everyone. She instead advised that they wait until nightfall before going out and that she would focus on luxuries while he got the essentials. In other words, she would steal herself a bed, while he got to work on scavenging food.


    Their expedition went moderately well, as Ella found herself a goose feather bedroll, and Edward was able to put together just enough food to serve two a single meal. While Edward was cooking the meal, Ella took a new set of clothes she''d obtained and got changed in the bedroom. When he was finished, Edward brought the stew into the bedroom, making sure to call out and check it was okay. When he laid his eyes on her, he was rather shocked.


    ¡°Well, those clothes certainly... Make an impression. I can''t tell if you stole them from the Empress or a whore.¡± He almost dropped his plate. They were golden silk and red velvet, woven by the finest craftspeople into a style that was incredibly revealing, essentially covering each important part with just enough fabric, and nothing more. Her seductively curled brown hair hung over her left shoulder and her green eyes shone brightly with mirth, reflecting so much more than the hint of a smile on her red lips. He had to admit, the clothes suited her very well, but it was a little too distracting. She seemed to notice the same thing and dropped back into a more guarded expression.


    ¡°I''ll take that as a compliment, as will I the way you are staring at me, but only because I''ve had a good day.¡± She scolded him. ¡°Now, are you going to give me my food, or just hog it all to yourself?¡± Her eyes were dangerous yet jolly, telling him not to make any more from it. He silently handed her a plate and tried to keep his eyes on the food as they ate.


    ¡°So, little apprentice, we can start your first lesson tomorrow.¡± She started a conversation, just to be rid of the awkward silence. ¡°If you at least knew the basics, it would be a lot easier, but I guess you don''t even know how to pick locks or move stealthily, right?¡± He nodded meekly in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s the first thing we should go over then. I will go and get some picks, and we can start looking at the theory.¡± She sat down her plate and spoon, having subtly licked it clean, and disappeared into the main room.


    Ella went over the recent events in her head as her arms subconsciously searched her bag, which enveloped her up to the shoulder. She had started the day the same as any other. A burly man had kicked her off the steps to his establishment with some force, then she¡¯d had run away from a slightly thinner man who owned the stall she had taken her lunch from, and shortly after she had arrived to mourn her old teacher. Then, her friends had encouraged her to steal from the theatre as part of their big plan to make it rich. From there, she had gone very quickly from little more than a grown street urchin to an accomplished thief living in some small form of luxury. A girlish smile spread across her lips as she thought of the effect her ¡®Little Apprentice¡¯ had imposed on her. A little pink touched her cheeks as she realised what they could become if fate had its way (which, she thought, it often did). Both the smile and the blush faded instantly as her arms emerged from the bag, holding a set of picks and a couple of small padlocks. Striding into the room that Edward was currently eating in, she began laying out her tools in front of him.


    ¡°You eat quickly, especially for a woman.¡± He said. Ella wasn¡¯t quite certain whether he was joking with her, or was genuinely surprised.


    ¡°You should see some of the Housedoor guys. Any crumb they can get their hands on disappears in a flash and puff of smoke.¡± Edward appeared to realise that maybe talking about food was not the most tactful decision.


    ¡°Housedoor? I haven¡¯t heard that description before.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s what we call those of us who have the worst luck. They can never find a comfortable storefront to sleep in, so they end up sleeping outside the doors of peoples¡¯ houses instead. Many of them have been poor for a long time, and can¡¯t sleep storefronts because everyone knows them.¡± Ella recollected the things she had learned fairly early on. Her mentor had said time and time again:


    ¡°Pity the Housedoors, for they have been neglected by Fate. Pity the houses who shelter them, for they will have been affected by the curse also.¡±


    Ella had not really understood entirely what he had meant, but she knew one thing for certain. Being a Storefronter like herself was at least a thousand times better than the lives of those Housedoors. She had made friends with a handful, but only in order to avoid their fate. They were truly repugnant creatures who lived only on the compost of others. Their luck was so down that they could not even pinch a loaf of bread from a child, even if they had the energy. She shivered with the memories.


    ¡°Right, lock picking¡­ Every lock has a different number of ¡®pins¡¯ that are pushed in when the key turns. In order to open a lock without a key, you have to simulate this effect. Using the pick, you feel for and push down each pin while turning the lock with the wrench.¡± She showed him a larger tool in the picking set. ¡°The lock will turn slightly when each pin is released, and when all of them are dealt with, it will turn fully, opening the door.¡± She quickly performed this process, and the mini padlock fell open. ¡°It can be difficult at first, but with practice, you should be able to open any lock. Now, onto silent movement, and I¡¯ll test you on lock picking after. The key to silent movement lies in careful foot placement. Each step should start close to the ground and touch down on a small surface area. In grass, it helps to ¡®sweep¡¯ the foot in order to pad out the step with a bed of grass. When running, keep on the balls of your feet or on your toes. When moving over land with no cover, try to move with the shadows of nature, or keep low. There¡¯s not much more I can teach you without actually showing you, so when you¡¯ve finished eating, I¡¯ll test you on lock picking.¡± Edward mumbled his agreement through a mouthful of stew, wiping the resulting spittle from his clothes. ¡°Eww, that¡¯s gross. If you¡¯ve got your mouth full, just a nod would do.¡± She grinned to herself while he stuffed his face, trying to hide his embarrassment.


    Edward placed his cutlery down and picked up the tools, finding both the larger ¡°wrench¡± and the smaller ¡°pick¡±. Inserting them both into the lock, he attempted to turn the lock and move the pins. After a few seconds, he put them back down again, defeated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to open the lock, but you have demonstrated that you understood my lesson well,¡± Ella reassured him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave those with you for the time being for practice. It¡¯s actually a fairly difficult lock. Not a very well designed one, it¡¯s old as all hell, but that makes it rusty and a nightmare to work with. Just get the first two pins down though, and it¡¯ll break itself open.¡± Edward thanked her and inquired about silent movement. ¡°Yes, if you have the right technique, it is very easy to move quickly without being detected. As much of it is ¨C indeed ¨C acting, as anything else ¨C if you walk in the manner of someone who isn¡¯t out of place in your current location, most people will not take any notice, especially in the military. The fastest and most efficient form of running is also extremely quiet since no energy is put into waste noise.¡± Edward nodded.


    ¡°So, when and where can I practice movement? I doubt it would be a good idea to practice on the job for the first time.¡± He noted. Ella smiled at him.


    ¡°Well, you managed pretty well without it, so you may have noticed that people around here are not particularly attentive. Having said that, the people who matter to you probably are, so I won¡¯t allow you to do anything too risky without mastering it first.¡± Edward picked up the lock and tools and started absent-mindedly wiggling away, enjoying the simple but complicated process. Ella simply admired him from her seat. At one point, he got especially frustrated and jerked hard on both the wrench and the pick, snapping the pick and slicing his finger open. Ella moved to help, but as he lifted it from his mouth, having cleaned the blood, they both observed that there was no actual wound.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ There was definitely blood¡­ But no cut?¡± Ella examined the finger closely and saw a thin white line quickly disappear. Edward pulled his finger back as if she¡¯d bit him. She may have been about to, judging by the look in her eyes.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, things like this have happened a lot, I¡¯ve just never noticed. I¡¯ve cut myself on my dagger before, but I was in such a hurry that I completely ignored it, and it had healed by the time I noticed. I guess something about my blood heals quickly or something?¡± He said dismissively, although still plainly worried by Ella¡¯s behaviour. She sat back, amused now the heated moment was over.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about this, but some of the older Housedoors mentioned something similar that was tied to their religion. I myself was brought up completely separate from all that stuff, so I just avoided talking about it.¡± Ella resumed her old pointed smile, and Edward relaxed a little.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to introduce me to these ¡®Housedoors¡¯ sometime. They seem like wise people.¡± He assumed a smile of his own, this one much more awkward. She carried on grinning happily.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure, but be warned: they do not take kindly to cleanliness.¡± Her smile was now reaching a certain feline level of size. ¡°We¡¯ll leave for their abode tomorrow, to give us each a chance to dirty up a bit. In fact, this can be your first lesson in act walking.¡± She walked out and started washing both herself and her old clothes in the dirt outside the caves. Edward, seeing the clothes she took with her, sat in his bed, not knowing what she was doing, but assuming it meant she would be nude for a time. He thought to himself about the behaviour she had displayed earlier and how much she scared him when he didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, which was pretty much all of the time. She returned a few minutes later, caked in mud from head to toe.


    ¡°Your turn then.¡± She grinned. When he asked what she expected him to do, she explained that he should cover himself in dirt and grime in the same way, so that it could have a chance to dry on and look authentic by the next day.

 In which our hero discovers his talents and makes friends.

    They awoke around midday and made their way into town. Edward was quickly given lessons in how to walk like a beggar, well enough to be mistaken for one and ignored. Ella took a long while to find the current hideout of the Housedoors that she knew since she only really knew to look in the residential area. When she finally found them, they were a rather monstrous sight. Caked in mud that looked like tree bark, combined with their old, wizened faces created a sagely mythical appearance. Edward found it hard to understand how anyone could dismiss these people as mere beggars and run them beneath their feet day to day. Sure, they kept to themselves, but one look at them and anyone should be able to liken them to gods. Had the stories really become so corrupted that even the physical evidence of the ages was tarnished? Had his father been around to see this, he would be broken at the knowledge. Those gods had been his heroes and to see obvious descendants treated in such a way would affect him in such a horrible way that Edward could not even predict if it would have left his father sane. Making a concerted effort to bow as low as he could, Edward greeted them.


    ¡°My Lords! Never did I think I would get to meet one of your kind. It is such a disgrace to see you reduced to such states. To think the people would forget such profound signs because of a corruption of myths. Their eyes must be burned by fear.¡± The eldest looking man smiled, while Ella looked very much taken aback to learn that the people she had been taught to ignore could be seen as godlike beings by others. The man, still smiling, stepped forward, and spoke to Edward¡¯s forehead, grasping the sides of his head in a venerated fashion.


    ¡°Relax, young one. It is true that the common folk have forgotten us due to an unjust trickery by the so-called Empire, but it is not our place to desire followers. Besides, you have come to us now, and many believe you to be the force that corrects our unbalanced world. You feel a connection to the god Cuinus, is that not correct?¡± Edward struggled to maintain his bow, surprised as he was.


    ¡°I do indeed. I am afraid, though, that I may have been unintentionally disrespectful in my actions towards him. I have worn a mask from the play depicting him and thought about taking his name as my own. I hope you and your kind can forgive me for that and help me right my own wrongs.¡± The Housedoor smiled once more.


    ¡°Relax, child. Did I not tell you clear enough the first time? No matter what you do, Cuinus will forgive you. You are his chosen, his heir and his descendant. I believe you have some sort of ability that has manifested itself recently?¡± Edward nodded, being careful to leave enough room between the elder¡¯s head and his own.


    ¡°For some reason, whenever I am wounded, once the blood is removed the incision repairs itself. I have not tested it to a large extent, and it is the reason we are here. To learn more about it.¡± At these words, each of the tree-people before them returned Edward¡¯s bow, only these were lower, as low as each respective skeleton would allow. The elder grinned and turned to the others.


    ¡°Stand, my fellows. You should know by now that Lord Cuinus and his heirs do not take kindly to signs of respect.¡± At this, he laughed as if experiencing severe nostalgia for a moment. Turning back to Edward, he said: ¡°Many people dismiss Cuinus as a trickster god who could only control plants. The reality is that Cuinus¡¯ realm lies in power over life and death. He merely preferred to stay light-hearted by playing simple pranks using his power and let nature take its course, knowing its volatile nature. The mark of an heir of Cuinus is the life restoration power. His is such an important presence that he is not permitted to die before his time. As such, a being with the power of Cuinus inside it can only die by old age or an extremely brutal and bloody death brought about with terrifying intent. Both cases have occurred a few times over the years. The first Cuinus, of course, should not have died, but a new, traitor god and his loyal subjects in the empire worked together to murder him in the most horrible way possible. That god is a total abomination in our view, but the old gods have ordered us to accept him and to let the descendants rule alongside him should he repent. Rest assured, if, as we believe, he will not repent, you will have the tremendous pleasure of finishing him off or fighting him as you wish.¡± Ella at this point was white as snow, and had no idea what to do, whether to bow or hold Edward¡¯s hand or be happy for him or afraid. The others had not noticed her yet aside from a curt greeting and a quick glance when they arrived. Edward, his head still bowed, asked.


    ¡°Can you teach me more about this ability and my link to Cuinus? I would be honoured to know more about such powerful beings.¡± The elder raised Edward¡¯s head, still in his hands, and pointed it towards Ella.


    ¡°You can find us anytime. Just make sure you have sorted it out with your teacher here. She seems a little unsure of letting you go.¡± He chuckled and released Edward¡¯s head, spinning to leave and dropping a pinch of powder into his hand. The others followed, and Edward found himself looking amusedly at Ella with a bright red glyph glowing on his hand.


    ¡°A little more than you bargained for? Yeah, me too.¡± Ella regained some of her composure and actually managed to restore a semblance of her trademark smile. Nodding, she said:


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go just yet, Little Apprentice. There¡¯s still a lot to say. At the very least, you need to learn to actually avoid attention.¡± Edward almost broke out in tears at his conflicting emotions. He wanted to leave but didn¡¯t, he liked that she used the same derogatory title as before, but didn¡¯t, he wanted to know what she had to say but didn¡¯t. At least she had stopped him from having to choose whether to leave or stay. He almost went to hug her but stopped himself. He was overcome with relief as she hugged him instead. ¡°I know you¡¯re really confused right now, and I¡¯ll let you go soon enough, but I still need to teach you some more, and I want you to myself for a little bit.¡± She grinned coyly. ¡°Selfish of me, I know, but then I¡¯m a thief. What could you expect otherwise?¡± Breaking off from the hug, she suggested: ¡°Shall we go back then?¡± Edward nodded, but then looked down at the glowing glyph on his hand.


    ¡°I know this is really useful and all, but that old man sure did cause problems for us.¡± He laughed ¡°I¡¯ll need at least one pair of gloves to cover this up.¡± Ella chuckled and quickly handed him a pair of thick nobleman¡¯s gloves.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be using your fancy rich person¡¯s disguise from now on I take it. You have the right to the name Cuinus, right? It would be a persona worthy of someone like you.¡± He almost cried again as he put the gloves on.


    ¡°Thanks, but no matter what happens, could you promise me not to mention that name around me? I guess I don¡¯t mind if other people know me by it, but I need at least you to keep me grounded, otherwise I¡¯m in danger of losing myself.¡± She nodded in understanding and led him back to their caves. Thankfully his melancholy movements were close enough to the downbeat walk of a beggar, and no one had seemed to notice the others grovelling at his feet or even the glowing of the symbol as if their eyes had literally been burned out by the fear that the Empire had instilled in them. To the casual onlooker, they may have looked like an ordinary crowd, going about their business, maybe even the perfect social and prosperous community, but there was a dull look in their eyes and a falsity about their movements and interactions with others that made them seem like alien beings. Ella had not seen the city like this before, but she presumed that it had always been like this, only her recent interactions with older powers had opened her eyes a little more to the troubles the world faced.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, don¡¯t those people deserve a bit of a more respectful name than ¡®Housedoors¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t think any of us enjoy respect much. It doesn¡¯t seem to fit with the old ways. We can always try to come up with something that seems more fitting, anyway.¡±


    Edward really enjoyed fiddling with his lock and picks, and Ella would often have to physically drag him off to train in anything else. He quickly learned the inner workings of the lock, but could not yet manage to press the second pin without breaking the pick when turning the lock. It seemed to be in an extremely awkward position, and he assumed that the key for this particular lock must be a very odd shape, instantly recognisable among a group. He was wondering what function such a set would pose when he noticed a small inscription on the side of the lock:


    MHT Training Locks Y.F.X B-Smith.


    He pointed this out to Ella, and she explained that MHT stood for ¡®Ministry of Honorable Thieves¡¯, whose training locks never had any keys, and the initials were those of her favourite smith, who apparently made high quality and difficult locks. Edward thought this might be a little unfair since she had told him it was old and would break after the second pin, but it was nigh on impossible to push the second pin.


    ¡°It is indeed old and rusty, and not very well designed. You see, this is one of his very first training locks when he was just developing his skills. This one will serve for training for most locks in the empire, but some more wealthy people use locks with complex layouts and several barrels to deter thieves. The point of a training lock of this level is to improve your general ability, as well as your speed with more simple locks. The next stage up could probably get you training for a merchant¡¯s strongbox. Maybe that¡¯ll give you a better idea of how appropriate it was to start you on that lock. Also, I was telling the truth about it breaking after the second pin is depressed. The first two pins are enough for you to practice on though since you will have to develop a proper technique in order to get the second pin.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯ve already given you too much help by saying that¡­ time for movement practice, come on.¡± He followed her, trying to figure out exactly how she had helped by saying that, but all that he could come up with was that he had to try to feel the lock rather than memorise it, but could not think how that would help, since such a complicated lock clearly required an exact touch which could not be gained by fumbling around in the dark. He vowed he would continue as he had been until he had five picks left, at which point he would start trying to feel the lock. He could not be entirely sure that she was not lying to him until either side had been proved, and he felt it more likely in this case that she had been lying and trying to make him take longer to succeed.


    Over the weeks, he developed extremely well in silent movement, being able to traverse open terrain of any kind without being detected visually or auditorily, and his acting walks became more natural and accurate, as well as silent running becoming more efficient. However, he progressed much more slowly in lock picking. He broke pick after pick attempting the lock, and instead of calming him down, it began to frustrate him more. At these times, he took to thinking about the abilities he had apparently inherited from a god, the very same god he had very nearly pretentiously named himself after without knowing his status. He became more and more excited to leave and annoyed with Ella for keeping him behind. He needed these skills to get back at the Empire, he kept telling himself, and Ella was holding him back from that duty. What selfish reason could she possibly have for keeping him there? He started analysing her behaviour in the past, deciding she definitely had a big secret that was potentially dangerous to him. Maybe she was working with the Empire, or he had heard of a creature in some tales that seemed to fit her description. The vampire. A creature that takes on the form of an attractive woman and has a lust for blood. They are known to wear seductive clothing, especially in the colour red, and could have bouts of unpredictable fury. They apparently tried to seduce their prey into staying with them as food.


    Edward had progressed almost to the point of mastery in movement by the time he was down to five picks. Much as he was loathe to since he hadn¡¯t yet figured out Ella¡¯s secret, he had promised himself he would try doing what he thought she had told him to. Completely forgetting what he had learned about the lock proved difficult, but nothing impossible. He managed to learn several new things about the lock by focussing on feeling it. He found that it had about seven pins, each in impossible positions much like the first and second. He found that the wrench often got in the way if he tried to turn the lock for each pin in sequence, He learned the layout of the first and second pins once more, but also found the extent of rust on each of the other pins. The final piece of the puzzle was the pin that was pressed automatically when he inserted the wrench. After having broken three of the five picks, he finally had the answer. He needed to combine his previous knowledge of lock picking with a detailed survey of the individual lock. Putting all the pieces together, he worked out that he did not, in fact, need to work on these pins in the logical order. The first to be pressed was pin number 5, which had the least amount of rust on it. The second was the pin underneath the wrench. He then pressed pin 7, followed by 1, then 4, then 6, 3, and finally the second pin. The lock fell open in his hands, the second pin having sheared through each pin that was rust-ridden. Each pin being pushed into place had slightly changed the shape of the lock so that the next pin was easier to push on. It was like an elaborately made puzzle box, and the rust had formed so perfectly that it was almost intentional ¨C It ended up denoting the exact order in which to pick the lock. He quickly realised that Ella had not lied ¨C just not told the whole truth. Much like everything else that had come out of her mouth, actually.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Having decided he could trust her, he put all thoughts of her secret from his mind. If he asked her about it, she would likely deceive him much easier now that he believed in her. He took a moment to wonder exactly when he had changed, from a na?ve young man who trusted a random stranger to a suspicious god who didn¡¯t even fully trust someone he had already confirmed as trustworthy. Edward suspected it was probably something to do with his newfound relationship with the Trickster God himself. Snapping himself out of his reverie, he headed to find Ella and tell her of his accomplishment.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve finally done it. I had hoped you might trust me a bit sooner, but it seems you¡¯ve changed a little recently. I¡¯m not happy about you going off with them to get even worse, but I¡¯ve had my turn with you, and I guess you do need to learn more about this stuff. Maybe you¡¯ll even learn to be yourself again?¡± Edward felt a pang of guilt.


    ¡°I hope I can. I¡¯m not sure I like this version of me. I just can¡¯t trust anyone, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I do either. Just promise me something?¡± Her lips started to quiver a little, and her tone was serious, so Edward felt especially compelled to listen to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously important. If I can make that promise, I will.¡± He started to feel a little more in control of himself.


    ¡°Promise me you will come back. No matter how long it takes. Just come back.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes, and he felt like she was little more than a puppy, or a cuddly toy, and he suddenly felt as if he would die for her. The little voice in his head reminded him of the stories of the vampires, and he toughened up a bit.


    ¡°I promise. But you need to promise me that you¡¯ll tell me whatever secret you¡¯ve been hiding from me when I do. And take care of the caves for me. I¡¯ll need them to continue my little terrorist operation.¡± She smiled sadly.


    ¡°I promise.¡± Came the barely audible voice. Edward began thinking that maybe he hadn¡¯t imagined the hint of affection she had displayed, but then the voice in his head scolded him again and he left without looking back.


    ********************************


    ¡°Lord Cuinus! You made it!¡± A young Housedoor greeted him when he found the location that the mark on his hand had been leading him to. He grinned mischievously.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to restore my power.¡± Replied Edward, to which the Housedoor smiled to himself and ran off to find an elder. Before he could come back, the same man that Edward had spoken to previously greeted him.


    ¡°Edward. We were waiting for you. Your teacher guards her apprentices jealously, it seems. Follow me.¡± Edward scowled and followed him through the streets until they came to a remote part of the city, which looked ancient, with stone arches and massive ruins all over the place. They walked through thousands of sets of arches, each growing in size until they stopped in an incredibly impressive temple of some sorts.


    ¡°I had no idea there was something like this in the city. How does the Empire even allow it?¡± Edward commented.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad he hasn¡¯t taken you over completely. To answer your rhetorical question, we are not currently in the Empire, let alone the city. The Empire leaves the ruins well enough alone in fear of accidentally allowing the gods to be resurrected. Anyway, here you will learn both how to use your powers to their full extent and to remain yourself at the same time.¡± He scowled. ¡°Although there is a faction here who want you to become Lord Cuinus himself, the fools. They seek to resurrect the one god who can never be resurrected, and through a medium that he has chosen, no less. They realise not that Cuinus doesn¡¯t want to be resurrected, that he just doesn¡¯t trust anyone else to keep order. I tell you now, do not lose sight of yourself ¨C It will lead to the destruction of this world.¡±


    Several young men stepped forward and introduced themselves. The ones called Cullin and Brettan were Edward¡¯s favourites since they dropped all honorifics and simply appeared friendly. He was pleased when it turned out that these two would be his main training partners. Their first lesson was in martial arts, which the elder stressed was absolutely essential in having the necessary control that they would need in order to continue progressing with their more supernatural abilities. They learned a method of hand-to-hand combat that had not been given a name and was extremely unorthodox, as well as basics in how to handle almost any weapon that had been created. Sparring in the group, while under instruction, was fun, and Edward found his new companions and himself progressing swiftly. Knocking an opponent¡¯s spear aside, he stepped aside and swung his own staff around ¨C simultaneously blocking an attack and counter-attacking the owner of the spear he had knocked aside. This process repeated itself over and over again in a circle of practised precision. Getting bored of the repetition, Edward improvised extra spinning motions and alternated his angles of attack, making sure to keep each one in the same location and take the same amount of time. The result was an impressive show, and onlookers nodded in satisfaction. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed that Cullin and Brettan were doing much the same thing, only in their own styles. They nodded to him and he returned the gesture.


    ¡°With any luck, we¡¯ll be out of here in record time!¡± Brettan joked. When their current sparring session was over, the watching elders approached and praised their performance.


    ¡°Good to see you still have plenty of personality left. I would estimate that you three are about ready to learn the powers of your respective gods. Follow me.¡± The eldest looking man, the one whom Edward had spoken to most since first meeting them, spoke. ¡°I would guess none of you knows who I am at this point also? My name is Michael, and I am the High Elder in our council. I hold the most power in this place, but many still strongly oppose me and my sect, and there¡¯s not much I can do to stop them from committing foolish acts, other than rein in their more radical members.¡± His face was set as a stone in anger, showing how deeply he was invested in their politics. After a few seconds though, it returned to the oaken texture that proved his status as a sage. He led them to a beautiful clearing in the forest just outside the temple. The sun¡¯s rays pushed through the canopy and danced upon the ground, highlighting dust particles and casting a mystical green light around the area. At the far end stood a massive, ancient oak that was situated in the centre of a brilliant blue pond. The green light glimmered off the surface and scattered over the large rocks surrounding its perimeter. Three birds flew down from the leaves and soared over their heads, completing the serene atmosphere. The apprentices stepped up to the pond and stared at its surface. No reflections were cast, but the light continued to bounce happily off the calm surface. Each of them turned their heads to look at Michael, but all they saw was a cloaked figure walking into the distance.


    ¡°I guess we need to figure out what we need to do for ourselves, then?¡± Edward cautiously offered. The others nodded their agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s as good a place to start as any, I suppose. There¡¯s definitely something godly and magical about this place.¡± Cullin stepped into the pond and walked over to the tree, making no disturbances in the water as he went. As he touched the bark of the tree, insects poured out of it onto his arms. Brettan flinched back from the other side of the pond and scuttled backwards, but Cullin didn¡¯t seem to mind. Instead, he smiled at the insects in the same way a father smiles at his daughter. He whispered to them, and they retreated into the tree, leaving behind glowing trails on his arms that faded after a short while.


    ¡°I think you guys should try that. It seems to be what we were brought here for.¡± He nodded to Edward and Brettan.


    ¡°You want me to just stand there and have those horrid beasts crawl all over me?! No thanks!¡± Brettan retorted with a disgusted look on his face. Cullin just smiled at him.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be different for each of us.¡± He explained. ¡°The god that I am heir to had power over insects, and they helped me accept him a little more. It won¡¯t make you any less you, but it¡¯ll make you a better conduit of their powers.¡± He stepped aside and gestured towards the pond. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Brettan scuttled back a little more and nodded to Edward.


    ¡°You first.¡±


    ¡°Quit being such a coward and just step in already¡± Cullin grabbed his arm, pulled him from the ground and tossed him towards the pond. Brettan slowly lowered his foot into the water, followed by the other, and carefully made his way towards the tree. The water stirred slightly, and all the fish in the pond began swimming around him.


    ¡°Hello, little friends. I need to get to that tree. Can you protect me from those nasty insects?¡± He muttered to them. In response, they swam around and formed a shield wall about him. Mildly surprised and amused, he felt much more confident about approaching the tree now. As he touched the bark of the tree, insects again started pouring onto his arms, but this time they were digging their teeth into him. He let out a shriek and the fish began jumping up to eat the insects. Birds flew down from the trees and attacked both him and the fish. Edward started to try and help, but Cullin held him back.


    ¡°You¡¯ll sabotage him if you interfere. Just wait, he¡¯ll make a bond with the fish and everything will stop.¡± He rolled up his sodden silk trouser leg, and Edward almost gasped. His legs were completely covered in blood and toothless bite marks. It looked like some unearthly creature had mauled him, and no sane man could expect him to be able to walk afterwards. Edward shut his mouth, realising that it was hanging wide.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty horrible. Will you be able to walk after this?¡± Cullin chuckled.


    ¡°Maybe if I didn¡¯t have the insects I wouldn¡¯t, but once I touched the bark of the tree, it just didn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Brettan was struggling to deal with everything at once, but the fish were really trying hard to help him. The number of insects significantly reduced, but the fish were also thinned out by the birds. Eventually, Brettan could take no more, and began lashing out randomly. Two fish that were in the process of attacking the insects were knocked from their trajectory and slid down his arms, leaving slimy trails. Several birds fell unconscious into the water, and all the insects were knocked off. After a few seconds, the blood, water and scale slime congealed into pink circuits on his arms, and as it soaked into his skin it left behind another glowing trail that stayed behind this time. He bent down to thank the fish, and as his arm was submerged in water when he stroked them; the glowing lines cooled down and disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of what¡¯ll happen to me now.¡± Edward semi-joked. Cullin and Brettan chuckled. Stepping back on solid ground, Brettan addressed him.


    ¡°We may not have got the worst out of the way just yet, for sure, but you can be sure that nothing will dare harm you as they did us. Your power is over life and death, so any life that messes with you is rather foolish, and foolishness is a very human trait.¡±


    Taking some heart in these words, Edward stepped into the lake, and no sooner did his toe slide into the water than a giant whirlpool appeared, the water making way for his foot, and then his leg, and then his entire body. Where he walked, all moisture fled, taking the life that was inside with it. At the sides, the water spilled over, displaced by the lake¡¯s drastic reaction. As he placed his hand on the tree, the bark separated just as the water had done, revealing a golden amulet. He wrapped his fingers around it, grasping it firmly in his hand. The cold metal burned his hand as if molten, and the tree closed around his hand, holding the amulet in place. Ferocious winds riled up, the whirlpool from before grew larger and larger as water from the edges joined that in the middle, and fish, birds and insects alike swarmed around him. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Edward was paralysed with pain: the heat in his hand, the compression of the tree, and bites and scratches from all the creatures combined to create the most unbearable sensation possible. The scream lasted for about a minute until everything ceased at once. The tree let go of his hand, the winds died down and the whirlpool span out, splashing water a good distance from the lake, hitting Brettan and Cullin. The insects retreated to the tree, the birds flew off, and the fish returned to calmly floating around. Edward looked down to where the amulet had been in his hands, to see the same symbol that had been carved into the amulet was now burned into his flesh. He watched in awe as it glowed blue, and similar symbols started appearing up his arm, around his shoulder, across his back, and they twisted around his body before running down his legs. The glow faded and the only symbol left was that on his hand, which dimmed to a white scar that overlapped the rune that had previously been left on it. Cullin and Brettan stood up to walk to him, but a wave of fire pulsated from his heart, and the surrounding forest twisted and contorted, wrapping itself around him. They were left just standing there in amazement as the fire passed through all the wood and flesh without burning anything. The whole forest was acting as an incredibly destructive yet defensive shield around him.


    ********************************


    Inside the shield, Edward was standing in awe. A beautiful young man had appeared in front of him in an ancient gown, oozing power and crouching naturally on a branch. A proud falcon rested on his antlers. His long, slim fingers twisted his blonde hair. A smile formed on his lips and spread to reveal sharp teeth.


    ¡°You have made a bond with my power, my chosen one, but you have yet to fully control it. I have created this shield with the last remaining shreds of my previous host¡¯s power, in order to protect you from those seeking you harm. I give you two options: You can either take on some of my being ¨C the more of me you take on, the more control you will have, but the less of yourself you will have left ¨C or you can stay in here for however long it takes, to study under my tutelage and learn to control it. Once you make your decision, you may not change your mind. I have no use for a weak-willed host.¡± Edward picked up his jaw and straightened out his overcoat.


    ¡°It would be an honour to study underneath you, my lord, and indeed to take on a part of you ¨C although I couldn¡¯t face losing my self once more ¨C but I need to be sure that the people around me do not get worried. Could you give me some time outside of the shield to tell them what I¡¯m doing?¡±


    ¡°No. As you are now, anything could kill you. That moment when you¡¯re talking to one of your friends could be the perfect chance for them to stab you in the gut. If I trust anyone anymore, it would be Michael. He will make sure everything is properly explained. Now, what is your choice?¡± Cuinus did not flinch as the falcon bent down to peck at his forehead, although he looked a little annoyed at Edward¡¯s use of honorific language.


    ¡°I will study under your tutelage for as long as it takes. I only hope that part of these lessons involves getting clothes like yours. They are very fine.¡± At this Cuinus chuckled, and stood up straight in mock salute. As he did, the falcon flew from his head, startled, and only just avoided crashing into Edward as he ducked too late.


    ¡°I am honoured by your opinion, my host. I shall do my best to teach you to a satisfactory level.¡± He burst into hysterical laughter. ¡°Oh, how I do love making fun of people like that. It¡¯s been too long¡­ Anyway, shall we get to training?¡±