《The Man with a Dozen Names》


 Chapter 1 - Death

    Lycus watched the coffin be lowered into the ground. He rather liked its design. After all, he had picked it out himself.


    His funeral was smaller than he¡¯d hoped. Apart from the few members of low nobility that had deigned to show up, it was populated by a few dozen peasants that were curious enough to stop by in the downpour. It was enough for the rumor to spread, if barely.


    ¡­


    Lycus wandered seemingly erratically through the slums, whistling a tune. Another man walked down the street a block behind. He took a turn into an alleyway. The man followed. Lycus took another turn. He sped up once he had broken line of sight with his pursuer. The nondescript man following him emerged from the alleyway, did a double take at how far Lycus was from him, and booked it after him. The man was slightly faster than Lycus. While Lycus was more fit, he was wearing a soaked cloak.


    Lycus ran into an alleyway and threw a pile of trash behind him. He heard a grunt and a thud behind him as the man tripped over the trash and was sent tumbling.


    He turned another corner and was brought up short by two unkempt-looking men leaning against either side of the alleyway.


    ¡°Look man, we know you don¡¯t want any trouble. We don¡¯t want it either. All we want is a little donation.¡± Said the one on the left, lightly tapping his club against his hand.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said the one on the right with a nasally voice. ¡°Donate to us or we¡¯ll donate our clubs to your legs.


    ¡°Sirs, I would love to donate to your enterprise here, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve only got my cloak and the boots on my feet,¡± Lycus said. He tapped his boot on the ground.


    ¡°Oh, so he thinks he¡¯s a refined man with all of his fancy words. Refined men always have something to donate to us.¡± The man on the left said. His eyes subtly glanced behind Lycus. Both thugs moved into Lycus¡¯ personal space.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Lycus glanced down at the puddle beneath his feet. A dark outline was approaching his back. He tapped his foot a second time.


    ¡°Since you so kindly insist, I¡¯ve decided to bequeath you my boots.¡± Lycus bent down as if to unbuckle his boots.


    ¡°And your cloak.¡± Said the man on the right.


    ¡°And my cloak.¡± Lycus amended.


    He tapped his boot on the floor a third time. In the same motion, he whipped his hand out of his black cloak and punched the woman that had been sneaking up behind him. He had brass knuckles on his hand. Before the thugs had time to react, he ran back the way he came. His pursuer was just entering the intersection between the alleyways. Lycus ran just ahead of him into a third alleyway.


    ¡°Get him!¡± The thugs roared behind him. They ran into the intersection and ran into his pursuer. A brief scuffle occurred until they realized that the man wasn¡¯t their prey. ¡°You idiots!¡± Yelled the man who had following Lycus. ¡°Do you have any idea who you just let go? Split up. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want if you just catch him.¡±


    ¡­


    As Lycus passed a sleeping beggar he swapped his luxurious black cloak for their ratty brown one. Turning a corner, he quickly spread refuse over his clothes and his skin. He hunched down in his new cloak. He looked just like another one of the homeless. He stayed there, face covered and pretending to be in a starvation haze.


    Frantic footsteps rushed by him. A little while later another set passed by. Then nothing. Lycus picked himself off the ground half an hour later. He brushed the worst of the refuse off himself and set off down the alleyway at a brisk pace. A smirk flashed across his face as he imagined what the look on their faces must¡¯ve been. The sun had come out, he had a new cloak, and he had lost his tail.


    He strolled through the slums until he found himself in a dead end. He knocked on a door set in the back of one of the buildings and waited.


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s home.¡± A voice came from inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the boss. Tell him Lycus¡¯ here.¡±


    A few minutes later the door opened. ¡°He¡¯ll see you upstairs.¡± The door warden recoiled at Lycus¡¯ scent. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything.¡±


    Lycus opened the door to the boss¡¯ office. ¡°Javierrr. How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Lycus! It¡¯s good to see you bro.¡± The heavyset man got up to go in for a hug. Then he got a whiff of Lycus and recoiled. ¡°You smell like you¡¯ve been sleeping in a pigsty.¡±


    ¡°Had to shake a tail or two.¡± Lycus flopped down in a chair.


    ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m going to have to burn that chair you know.¡± Javier said. A smile was stretched across his face. ¡°I thought you were working that noble gig?¡±


    ¡°I was. It went south. Still going to pull it off, just need a place to stay for the time being. Hopefully a bath too.¡± Lycus chuckled.


    ¡°You sure you want us to continue with the plan? It was already risky before they heightened security.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah. I¡¯m sure. This¡¯ll be my last job anyways.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. Suuure it will be. But yeah, I got a place for you bro. You can take as much time in my bath as you want. Go take one now. I¡¯ll have fresh clothes waiting for you when you get out.¡±


    ¡°Aww. I wanted to catch up.¡± Lycus stool up and headed to his bath.

 Chapter 2 - Proposal

    Lycus circled a gated manor, looking for a good place along the fence. He picked a place hidden from the manor¡¯s grounds and the surrounding buildings, quickly scaling the fence. His green cloak flared out as he landed on its turf.


    He had to be careful. While the only guards on the grounds were on the other side of the manor, that didn¡¯t discount anyone looking through the manor¡¯s windows. He had picked an approach that would keep the garden¡¯s greenery between him and any observers until right before the manor.


    Lycus came up on the path that surrounded the manor¡¯s walls. He froze as he spotted a flash of movement in a window directly across from him. It was just above his destination, the servant¡¯s door. He released his breath as the figure moved away, but his cautiousness had cost him time. He could hear the patrolling guard just around the corner of the house.


    Lycus ran up to the servant''s door. He fumbled in his pocket for a key. Withdrawing it, he let himself into the manor just as the guard turned the corner. He started to close the door behind him, but the guard was close enough that they would hear him - and likely see him - if he took the time to close it completely. He would have to be fast.


    Lycus followed a well memorized route through the manor. He heard a shout of alarm as the guard outside spotted the open door. He broke into a sprint, racing through the dusty halls of the manor. He breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the master bedroom of the manor and had yet to be caught by the guards. Everything inside was tidy. Not a paper was out of place, not a spec of dust was in sight. There was a picture of a woman and a man on the desk. He settled in a chair next to the door and waited.


    Two pairs of hurried footsteps approached the door. Lycus heard a masculine voice speak from the hallway. ¡°My lady, we¡¯re almost to your room. The others are searching the hou-¡± He was cut off by a feminine voice. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I know who it is.¡± One of the pairs of footsteps slowed down to a walk. ¡°But my lady, your safety is of the utmost importance.¡±


    The man was still beseeching the woman when she entered the bedroom and said, ¡°Hello Vincent.¡±


    ¡°Hello Jeanne. You seem to have caught me once again.¡± Lycus said. He emerged from his corner with a dramatic flourish of his cloak.


    As the guard entered the bedroom, he muttered, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s him again. I should¡¯ve guessed...¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°I thought you died!¡± Jeanne said.


    ¡°Ah. Well. I¡¯m afraid that was unavoidable. You know how I am.¡± Lycus scratched the back of his neck.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse!? They said assassins came in the night. The funeral was only yesterday!!¡±


    ¡°My apologies. Next time I decide to get assassinated I¡¯ll make sure to tell you.¡±


    ¡°But you clearly didn¡¯t get assassinated. You¡¯ve been missing for a week! ¡± She paced around the room. ¡°I thought... I thought you trusted me.¡±


    ¡°I do trust you. But I had to make sure they didn¡¯t know that I lived.¡±


    ¡°More secrets then. You¡¯re obviously not here for pleasure so get out of my bedroom.¡±


    Your wish is my command.¡±


    Lycus followed Jeanne down to the sitting room. ¡°Sit.¡± she commanded. She rang a small bell for the maid. ¡±Susan, please prepare some tea for us.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    Lycus studied the room around him. The seating was high quality, yet threadbare. Small mementoes decorated the mantle. Everything was as he remembered. He hung up his cloak on the cloakstand.


    The awkward silence ended as the maid returned with the tea. ¡°Thank you, Susan.¡± He said. She shot him an icy glare in return.


    ¡°Now Vincent, why are you here? And what in the eight hells happened to your nose.¡± Jeanne said


    ¡°I had to change my appearance¡­¡± Lycus mumbled.


    ¡°Well, it works. It also looks incredibly silly.¡± Jeanne snickered.


    ¡°Whatever. Enough about my appearance. Would you permit me to be your escort for the upcoming masquerade?¡± Lycus said.


    ¡°No. Not in a million years. Everything thinks that you¡¯re dead. You would have to pay me if you wanted even a chance at coming to the masquerade with me.¡±


    ¡°Pay you?¡± Lycus lifted an eyebrow.


    ¡°Tsk. You know the state this house got in after my husband died.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. Well, I¡¯m afraid that dead men don¡¯t usually get to keep their mortal possessions after they pass on. I have no way to pay you.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Then you have nothing to offer. ¡°


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you honestly think, then you have no idea what they¡¯re saying about you. First your husband, now me. It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re cursed.¡± Lycus said.


    Jeane stood up and advanced on Lycus. ¡°You come in here after not talking to me for a week, flaunt my husband¡¯s death, and dare to ask something from me. Leave. If you come here again you will be trespassing, and my guards will deal with you accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Lycus said. He slipped his mask back on and left.


    Jeanne flopped back down into her chair. ¡°That man vexes me, Richard.¡± She said to the guard that had stayed at her side.


    ¡°Yes madame.¡± Richard replied.


    ¡°He says and does one thing one moment, then does the opposite the next moment.¡±


    Richard handed Jeanne her long forgotten cup of tea and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.


    Jeanne took a long draught from her cup. She stared mournfully at its dry bottom. ¡°Susan, could I please have some more of your amazing tea. In a real cup this time.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    After getting her madame her mug of tea, Susan started tidying up after their unexpected guest. ¡°What do you want me to do with this?¡± Susan held up a piece of paper.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jeanne asked.


    ¡°A letter. I found it where Vincent had been sitting. Want me to throw it away?¡±


    ¡°No, give it here please.¡± Jeanne asked.


    After she read through the letter, Jeanne flopped further back in her chair. She eyed her mug of tea. ¡°I¡¯m going to need something stronger.¡±