Viktor Zólyomi:

Preludes to a Nightmare

http://www.rideroftheblackhorse.co.uk

Disclaimer: All names and occurrences in this story are entirely fictional. Any similarity with actual people or places is purely coincidental. Story, characters, and artwork concept (map and cover art) are copyright Dr. Viktor Zólyomi, 2011, all rights reserved. All graphics (map and cover art) are copyright Juliana O. S. Medeiros, 2011, all rights reserved. Kindle edition published in 2012.

Contents

- The eyes of the wolf

- Prologue

- The Mayor's decision

- The hunting party

- The morning after

- Claw marks

- The alpha male

- The eyes of the wolf

- Epilogue

- Adrian's Way: Loyalty

- Prologue

- The apprentice's way

- The time of change

- The magician's way

- The Magister

- Assassination

- Proper course of action

- Epilogue

- The Viper

- Prologue

- Legal mercenary

- Blood on the dagger

- A day in darkness

- Initials

- Bayle's heart

- Breaking point

- Saying farewell

- Epilogue

Author's Foreword

Before you begin reading the stories in this book, I feel a fair word of warning is in order. Being the dark fantasy tales that they are, the stories in this book are not for the faint of heart. Though they're no horror tales, of course, there are plenty of violent and gory scenes to be found here and there; lots of violence and lots of blood. Arghard is a dark, foreboding world where heroes in the classical meaning of the word do not exist, and the characters that inhabit it behave accordingly. The tales are centered around a few individuals, their agendas, their interests, and the conflicts of their interests. And where there is conflict of interest between powerful individuals, there's bound to be bloodshed. Now, the bloodshed is not what drives the stories, it's just something that necessarily comes along with them. Like I said, these stories are no slasher horror tales. However, be advised, these stories are still not for the faint of heart. You have been warned... :)

With that admission behind us, let me tell you of the origins of the stories in this mini-anthology. The stories in this book are prequel novelettes that act as, so to speak, preludes to a much larger story, a pentalogy called Rider of the Black Horse. Each novelette is centered around a different character and is a stand-alone short story. It is not necessary to have read any of these novelettes to understand the story of the pentalogy, but doing so certainly adds to the lore of Arghard and offers a diverse introduction to the world. These short stories are not as dark as the pentalogy itself (there's also barely any profanity in these novelettes, while the same cannot be said about the pentalogy) but they should give a pretty good preview of what one can expect from the pentalogy. These stories are essentially meant as appetizers for the main story in the pentalogy.

As for the Rider of the Black Horse pentalogy itself, it may appear to be written in an unorthodox style, and it certainly has some very unorthodox origins. The whole thing was born to be made into a playable module in the PC game Neverwinter Nights (NWN). The concept itself was in fact born before NWN was even released, inspired by the - in my opinion - best computer role playing games ever made, Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. NWN had been in development for quite a while by the time the original concept of this story took shape in my mind, and I was eager to build it into a module once NWN would be released.

Unfortunately, I never completed the module, and likely never will. I worked on it for a long time, and then I got to a certain point where I realized that I just don't have the kind of time that I need to complete the module, to fine-tune each and every last detail of it, to finish all the scripting, the balancing, and so on. So I decided to drop the whole thing, because it's simply far too much trouble for me. I had to realize that working full time as a physicist simply does not leave enough time for that. But by then, I had the story evolved quite far, and day after day I inevitably kept thinking it further, even as I knew I'd never finish the module. After some time, a new idea was born in my mind, and I decided to write down the story as a book, to work out the little details of the story. Even this is a time consuming thing to do, but much less so than making a playable module of such an epic scope.

So I started writing. Since the tale originally had an unnamed central figure, the playable protagonist, it was only then that I created a name and a specific personality for the main character, though fortunately his personality was fleshed out in great detail over the years I spent writing the book. Now, the main influence behind his character as well as part of the story was precisely the Bhaalspawn saga, the aforementioned Baldur's Gate series. As a whole, this pentalogy hardly resembles the Bhaalspawn saga, but that's where the roots of the story lie, and I am sure those of you who played the game will notice this.

At first I wrote the books just for my own amusement. It was only after the story had evolved into a pentalogy and after I had the main plot of the story fully in my mind, that I even thought about publishing it. Some people might notice a deeper, philosophical meaning which lies subtly beneath the surface, and I admit that it is there. However, that was never the intention. The book was written with a sole purpose: to entertain. Somewhere along the way, quite some philosophical content ended up among the pages. I think it was just inevitable. But I do not mind. I sometimes share some deep philosophical conversations with my mentor and former boss, and I have always enjoyed that. So I do not at all mind that the story might make people think.

Yet my purpose was to entertain, and I hope I was able to achieve this goal. The reason I decided to publish is exactly that I felt that some people out there might find it entertaining. As long as there is one person out there who will indeed be entertained by my book, I will have achieved my goal.

Before closing I'd like to thank the people who read the first draft of the book and told me that they liked it, especially János (or the Punisher as I like to call him since he beat almost all my high scores in the Punisher PC game) for his extremely useful constructive criticism which really helped me improve the book in many ways. My eternal thanks go out to Feri and Balázs as well. I'm also grateful for the tips I got from Steve which helped polish the language before publication. (By the way, sorry about my extensive use of commas, I know I use them more often than I should.) And a very special thanks to two other people who have read the book, Jeno, who has been my mentor for almost a decade and who taught me everything I know about my profession and whom I respect endlessly, and my beloved Juliana who has been by my side all these years despite all my stubbornness.

Now, let me close this Foreword by making mention of my key influences, i.e. the sources I stole... errr... borrowed... errr... drew inspiration from. Yes, that's the right way to say it... Now, there are countless sources that have inspired me greatly and I will not make mention of them all here. That will come at the end of the last book of the pentalogy, although if you are curious and don't mind some slight spoilers you can also find the list of inspirations on the website of the book (http://www.rideroftheblackhorse.co.uk - the website features some additional extras as well, including descriptions of the worlds and characters of the story, wallpapers, and a pdf file of the map of Arghard). Here, I just wish to mention the most important inspirations that were key to the conception of the story. In no particular order (though I did save the two most important ones for last).

- Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 (Bodhi, Sarevok, Irenicus, Edwin, and all the others: I salute you!)

- David Gaider (The man is sheer genius. His Ascension mod to Baldur's Gate 2 was pure awesomeness! He's a great writer, too.)

- The Twins Trilogy of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Raistlin Majere can kick Gandalf's ass any day!)

- The Sin City movie of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez (I loved the first person storytelling of Sin City, and that was the main inspiration for the ever-changing first person storytelling in Rider of the Black Horse.)

- The Punisher (The figure of Frank Castle is truly one of my all time favorite comic book characters. I'm also a great fan of Dirty Harry and revenge tales in general, so I guess it's no wonder that I like the Punisher so much. The Punisher's unique style has provided me great inspiration for one of the key characters in Rider of the Black Horse.)

- Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Randy Orton, and the Rated R Superstar: Edge (I'm sure you're wondering about this one, but if you know the resume of these guys, you'll eventually understand why and how they inspired me.)

- The songs Inside The Monster, Heavenly, End In Sorrow, Beyond My Destiny, and Demonsion by Brainstorm, the songs Forever, When The Lights Are Down, and Memento Mori by Kamelot, and the song Two Seconds To Live by Symphorce; but especially Inside The Monster by Brainstorm (Brainstorm is god, and Andy B. Franck is his prophet! These are the words used to describe Brainstorm's Liquid Monster album in a review some years ago, and what can I say, I tend to agree with this assessment. Those who have seen the cover of the Liquid Monster album will most certainly see how greatly the song Inside The Monster inspired me in the writing of Rider of the Black Horse.)

- The music of several bands including Within Temptation, Symphorce, Sonata Arctica, Sengir, Sabaton, Kamelot, Heavenly, Evanescence, Egypt Central, and of course Brainstorm, and many many more (See the website after you read the pentalogy if you are interested in the ``playlists'' of the books, which is basically a list of songs I feel fit to each volume, somewhat similar to a soundtrack in a movie.)

- John Caldwell's Skandar Graun books (I pretty much grew up on Caldwell's books and have read Word of Chaos and Night of Chaos more times than any other books I ever held in my hand. His masterpieces inevitably inspired me greatly.)

- Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné (Moorcock is the greatest fantasy author of all time in my opinion, and Elric of Melniboné is the single greatest piece of fantasy ever written, a true masterpiece which has naturally given me much inspiration.)

That's about all I wanted to say in the Foreword. I hope you will find these short tales entertaining and they will spark your interest in the pentalogy as well. Now turn the page, and enjoy the stories!

The eyes of the wolf

After a few minutes, I saw them. They were a little bit to the right of the road ahead, and were slowly approaching. They howled and howled, until they saw us. Then they became silent, and just stared at us. Six large wolves. I looked to one of them, and stared into his eyes, those wide black eyes. He gazed back into mine. A minute passed, and he turned his head to the sky and howled aloud. Then, he turned around and started walking. He stopped after a few feet, and then looked back at the others. They, too, howled, and then they turned around and joined the first wolf. They all looked back to us. They were waiting for us... - Wolfhunter, 3 years, 5 months, and 16 days before Twilightfall

Prologue

Wolfhunter

Gatestown, present day (2 years, 3 months, and 4 days before Twilightfall)

As the two men stand up from the bar and leave the tavern shaking their heads, the bartender addresses me.

`Hey, buddy... Why did you turn them down?' he asks. `Didn't they offer enough coin?'

`Payment has nothing to do with this.' I tell him. `They need someone to protect their land from a pack of wolves. I cannot help them.'

`Hold on. You can't help them? Aren't you that hunter that people say downed a werewolf a few years ago?'

I nod.

`Not alone, but that was me, yes. Years ago...' I tell him, slowly.

`So, you're the one they call Wolfhunter. Then why did you turn them down? Surely a pack of simple wolves is no match for someone who killed a werewolf.'

`Sometimes, things happen that cannot be fathomed, that cannot be explained. Things, for which no sane explanation exists. Yet, things which must have a reason behind them. Has this ever happened to you?'

He looks at me and the look in his eyes betrays that he thinks I'm drunk. Would that I was...

`I'm not getting your point...' he says, shaking his head.

`The last time I was on a wolf hunt was over a year ago. After that, I have sworn never to do it again.'

`Oh? Why's that? Did they almost eat you? Are you scared of wolves now?' he asks, almost mockingly.

`You have no idea what happened.' I reply grimly.

`Then tell me! I'm all ears!'

`Ignorance is bliss, my friend. Trust me, you don't want to know.'

`Bah, what, do you think I'm scared? I've been tending this bar for over fifteen years! I've heard all sorts of scary tales from these patrons. There's nothing you can say that would scare me.' he says haughtily.

I look at him for a while, and then slowly nod.

`Why not? I have warned you, after all. Fine. I will tell you, but keep a bottle of wine ready. Soon, you may feel like you need it.'

`Heh, this is a tavern, Wolfhunter! There's plenty of wine right here.' he says, tapping the bar. `Come on, let's hear your horror story!'

I sigh.

`This is no horror story.' I tell him. `This... This is something much, much worse...'

The Mayor's decision

In the town of Tiask, a year ago (3 years, 5 months, and 17 days before Twilightfall)

It happened roughly a year ago that I traveled to the town of Tiask at the request of an old friend. It is a nice quiet little town near the western border of Delamar. Though the surrounding roads are just as perilous as one would expect these days, there are significantly less bandits around there than let's say in the areas surrounding Gatestown. Perhaps it is the vicinity of the troll inhabited mountains of Uldath which is to blame for that. Regardless, the town itself is a surprisingly peaceful settlement.

Though I headed straight to the tavern to speak with my friend who had called me there, I ended up seeing the Town Hall just minutes after my arrival. As soon as I handed my horse over to a stable boy, a man stepped towards me and formally introduced himself. He asked me to follow him to the Town Hall, where the Mayor wished to speak with me. I went with him and found myself in the Mayor's office pretty swiftly. Once he lead me into the office, the Mayor formally introduced himself as Ken Tasvor. I introduced myself in return, then the Mayor asked the man who had lead me to him to leave. As the man left and closed the door behind him, the Mayor offered me a seat by a parlor table. I sat down, and he began to talk.

`So, you are the famous Wolfhunter! I am glad you came!' he said.

`I don't think I'm so famous...' I told him.

`Oh, Rarino told me all about you. He spoke at length of your deeds!'

`I am sure he exaggerated a bit.'

`I dare to hope not. Did he tell you why I asked you here?'

`Actually, he didn't even mention that you asked me here. He just wrote in his letter that he needed my urgent assistance.'

`No, actually, I asked him to call you here. You see, I need someone like you. Let me explain why...

There is a small village called Omd to the northwest of here. It's just a few hours on horseback, and we trade with them often. Many of the townsfolk have good friends living over there in that village, myself included. Two weeks ago, one of said friends of mine was brutally murdered in his own house...'

`I am sorry for your loss.'

`Thank you... but let me continue. He... He was not just murdered. He was outright torn apart. His house was left in ruin. His body and the walls of his house were littered by the marks of large claws. Wolf-like claws.'

`Do you think wolves did it?'

`The villagers themselves said that it was a pack of wolves. Though they never saw the wolves enter or leave the house, they did hear them howling. However... there is something very wrong about this all...'

He sighed, and looked away. Like he was feeling troubled, remembering his old friend.

`Go on.' I told him after a while. He turned back to me and continued.

`Yes... Those claw marks... I don't know what left them, but it was no ordinary wolf, I can tell you that much.'

`What makes you think so?'

`The size of the claw marks. I've seen wounds caused by wolves. These were much larger... and the strangest thing of all is, that there were only claw marks. I have never seen a wolf attack someone without biting into the victim, and in this case there was no identifiable biting wound. Only claw marks...'

`I guess you want me to find out what did this, right?'

`Oh, I want more than that...' he said, and then he stood up. He went to the window and looked outside, locking the fingers of his hands together behind his back.

`I have organized a hunting party.' he said after a while. `I want whatever did this found, and killed. I want you to lead the hunting party. If you succeed... I shall reward you handsomely. I will give you five thousand smooth crowns worth of gemstones.'

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words left my lips. It was an outrageously large sum for wolf hunting. Even if all signs suggested that the wolves that we were to hunt were exceptionally dangerous.

`Five thousand smooth crowns?' I asked finally, in an extremely surprised voice.

`Yes. Five for you, and five more for each member of the hunting party.' he said, turning back to me from the window.

`Five thousand for each man? Why are you so generous?'

`I am not, actually. It's not my coffers I'm emptying here.'

`You're paying this from the treasury of the town?' I asked, surprised.

`Yes. The town elders strongly disagree, but it was my decision and it is final. Look... The man who died there was a good friend. I promised myself I would get to the bottom of this, at any cost. And I will!'

`Alright, it's your town.'

`Damn right it's my town! Are you in?'

`Yes. I understand this is personal for you. I'll help you.'

`Thank you. I knew you wouldn't let me down!' he said, and he smiled at me. `Now, I am sure you could use some rest after your journey. Go to the tavern. I believe Rarino is waiting for you there. You may meet the members of the hunting party as well. Have a nice rest, my friend. Tomorrow, we will have a long and hard day...'

The hunting party

In the town of Tiask, a year ago (3 years, 5 months, and 17 days before Twilightfall)

With that, he made it clear to me that he would be joining us for the hunt. I nodded, we said our goodbyes, and I left his office. I went straight to the tavern to speak with Sepp Rarino, my old friend who had called me to Tiask. A seasoned, veteran warrior who had seen more battles than anyone I have ever known. An old fashioned adventurer, so to speak. Although he rarely travels these days.

I found him sitting by a table, drinking some ale. He greeted me warmly, and I sat down beside him. He ordered me a drink, and we began to talk.

`So, I guess you got my letter after all?' he asked. `I was afraid it got lost on the way.'

`I'd have gotten here sooner, but I had to take detours here and there.'

`Bandits?'

`Yes, curse them... Even around here they are preying on unsuspecting travelers.'

`You're not the first to run into bandits in these parts... but you spotted them before they could have ambushed you, didn't you? You've the keen eyes of an eagle, my friend!' he said, laughing.

`Sometimes it doesn't help to spot them. There was one group that I couldn't have avoided without a far too large detour, and I had to fight them.'

`So what? You wasted the scum, didn't you?'

`Yes. All three. But it wasn't easy...'

`Wasn't easy? Nah... You're just being shy again. Like when you single handedly killed four wolves. Or when you killed that werewolf...'

`I didn't kill the werewolf alone, Sepp...'

`I know, but you dealt the killing blow, and you took a big piece out of the fight, remember?'

`Yes, I remember.'

`Good! Because you might fight one again, old buddy!'

`I might?'

`Didn't the Mayor tell you?'

`He told me it was just wolves, albeit pretty big ones.'

`Bullshit! I was there when he checked out the corpse and the ruined house. It was a werewolf if you ask me...'

`I guess we'll soon find out.'

`Yeah, I guess. Did you meet the party yet?'

`No. '

`See those three guys over there?' he asked, pointing towards another table. Three men were sitting there. Two humans and a dwarf. The dwarf and one of the humans looked like typical mercenaries. The other human, who had no scars on his face and wore a simple travel robe, looked more like a magician, though I could not be sure.

`I see them.'

`They're the hunting party.'

`The Mayor must really be wanting those wolves dead if he even hired a mage.'

`He sure does! Word is, he even wanted to hire Richard Dane! But Dane is hard to find, and he wants this thing dealt with quick.'

`Richard Dane? Who's that?'

`Never mind. He's just a merc, but a damn good one. Anyway, be glad you have that mage. If it's a werewolf you're dealing with as I suspect you are, the wizard will be of good use to you.'

`What of you? Aren't you coming?'

`No. I'm too old for such a hunt. I would only be a hindrance... But you'll tell me all about the hunt, won't you?'

`Sure.'

`Splendid! Now, go talk to those guys. Best to get acquainted by a keg of ale! Or two...'

I nodded, and we stood up. We went over to their table, and he introduced me to them.

`Hey, you lousy good for nothing mercs! Let me introduce you to your leader!' he said, as he pointed at me theatrically. The two humans nodded to me, while the dwarf frowned.

`This is that Wolfhunter, eh?' asked the dwarf in a mocking tone. `I'm not impressed...'

`Show some respect, Istur!' said the human mercenary to the dwarf, then he turned to me. `Please, have a seat!'

`Thank you.' I told him, and sat down.

`Well, I should be going.' said Sepp. `Enjoy the evening, tomorrow you'll have plenty to do!'

With that, he left. Then the human mercenary introduced himself and the others.

`My name is Josh Radeth, and this is Istur.' he said, motioning to the dwarf. Then he pointed to the wizard. `That's Silent Stan.'

`Silent Stan?' I asked of the wizard. He nodded, and didn't say a word.

`He's a mute.' said Istur. `But don't worry! He can cast spells just fine!'

`What? How can he do that?' I asked, surprised.

`Well, have you ever seen an archmage cast spells?' asked Radeth.

`No.' I replied.

`The really powerful mages can learn how to cast spells without using magic words. Archmages barely ever chant anything. Of course, Stan here is no archmage. But through rigorous study, he was able to learn to use the Arcane Arts even as a mute. It took him a long time, but he succeeded.'

`I am impressed.' I said to the mage. He bowed his head and smiled slightly, as if he was thanking my compliment.

`And he's damn good at his trade!' said Istur.

`What of you two?' I asked. `You're no mages, right?'

`No. We are warriors.' he replied. `Radeth and I have fought side by side in countless battles, and I can assure you that we are the finest mercenaries in all of Arghard!'

`What he means to say, is that we fight well enough.' said Radeth.

`Oh, don't give me that shy talk again, dammit!' replied the dwarf. `How many battles have we fought against insurmountable odds? How many? Dozens, that's how many! And we've prevailed each and every time!'

`Those odds weren't that insurmountable. Sure, we were outnumbered, but they were amateurs.'

`That's what I'm saying! Compared to us, everyone is an amateur!'

I laughed.

`Confidence is good, Istur.' I told him. I was about to warn him of the downsides of being overconfident, but he didn't let me finish.

`Damn right it is!' he said. `Now tell us of yourself, Wolfhunter! I want to know what makes that old fool Rarino think you're so good.'

I sighed, ordered an ale, and began to talk.

The morning after

In the town of Tiask, a year ago (3 years, 5 months, and 16 days before Twilightfall)

The next morning, I awoke late. We had spent hours talking about each other's exploits in the tavern, and it was past midnight when we retired to the rooms the Mayor had reserved for us. I yawned and stretched my limbs, got dressed, and headed downstairs to have some quick breakfast.

I found the silent wizard sitting by a table, he was just finishing his breakfast. He was alone. I ordered breakfast and sat down beside him, and asked him of the others.

`Are Radeth and Istur still asleep?' I asked.

He shook his head in response.

`So, they already had breakfast?'

He nodded.

`So, where are they?' I asked. In response he imitated walking with two of his fingers, and pointed to the exit.

`So, they're waiting for us outside?'

Then he shook his head, and made a facial expression which seemed to suggest that something was wrong. I was about to ask him about it, but then he stood up. He bowed his head to me, and then walked out of the tavern.

`Now what was that all about?' I asked myself. Minutes later I was served my breakfast and I started to eat. I didn't even get half way when Sepp stormed into the tavern and sat down beside me.

`Did you swallow that morsel?' he asked.

`I did now.' I replied. `Why?'

`Bad news... Are you seated well?'

`What's wrong?'

`The Mayor. He's dead.'

My jaws dropped as he told me that.

`What...?' I asked as I regained my composure. `How...?'

`He was murdered. Last evening. In his office. A few hours after you left.'

`Murdered?'

`Yes. It was the work of a professional. A single stab into the back, through the heart. With some kind of bladed weapon, likely a sword. Poor man didn't even have a chance to scream.'

`Assassination?' I asked in disbelief.

`Looks that way...' said Sepp, nodding.

`Who would...'

`Let's go up to your room.' he said. We did, and there, he continued.

`Did the Mayor tell you that the town elders disagreed with this wolf hunt?' he asked.

`Yes.' I replied. `He mentioned it.'

`Well, guess what. The first thing they did when they heard of the assassination is they revoked the Mayor's offer of a reward. So you and the rest of the hunting party would be getting nothing. Not a coin... Those guys didn't want to see twenty thousand smooth crowns leave the town's treasury just for the sake of avenging the death of a villager.'

I rubbed my eyes nervously and sighed.

`Are you telling me the town elders had the Mayor killed?'

`I'm not saying anything. Especially since it was such a professional work. It is a strange coincidence however...'

I sighed.

`How could they sink so low...'

`There is more...'

`More?'

`They are accusing the hunting party.'

`What?'

`Five thousand smooth crowns are missing from the treasury. The elders are saying that one of the members of the hunting party must be responsible. That one of you didn't want to work for his pay...'

`That's an outrageous assumption!'

`Of course it is. Nobody really believes it. Just think about it. Whoever killed the Mayor, was able to slip in and out unseen, and deliver the killing blow in one hit. Radeth and Istur are too clumsy to sneak in like that. And that mute mage... No way he could have stabbed him in the back so efficiently. That leaves you... but I know you. I know you would never do such a thing...'

`So... What now?'

`The elders have been arguing with each other for hours. About what to do. Logically they would likely order the guards to arrest you and the others. However, Radeth and Istur left as soon as they heard that no-one would pay them. The mute wizard left a while ago as well. So you're the only one they could arrest. You have a relative fame that renders you above suspicion. So, likely nothing will happen. They will place blame on the three that ran away, and that will be the end of it.'

`Those bastards...'

`Yes... Nothing we can do. Not unless we find some proof that they did this. As I said, it was a professional assassin. No clues left behind. Like this, it's hopeless to prove that it was one of the town elders who ordered the assassination...'

I sighed deeply. I was outraged at the very thought of what had transpired. It enraged me that the elders would escape justice, but there was nothing we could do. There was no proof of any of Sepp's suspicions. No matter how crystal clear it all seemed, without proof, we could not be sure that it was indeed their doing. It was a difficult situation, and I saw no solution.

`What about Omd?' I asked after a while.

`What about it?' asked Sepp.

`The Mayor died because he wanted the death of his friend avenged. I promised him I would find those wolves and kill them.'

`You're the only one left. You can't just go up against a werewolf alone.'

`There's no way to bring the murderers of the Mayor to justice. Let me at least carry out his wish to bring justice for his friend.'

`You're crazy if you go there alone, Wolfhunter.'

I nodded.

`Perhaps, but my conscience demands that I do this. If I cannot exact justice for the Mayor, I should at least do it for his friend...'

He sighed, but then smiled at me and patted me in the back.

`Very well. I guess I'll never talk you out of this, huh? Good luck then, Wolfhunter! May your hunt be successful and glorious!'

I sighed and nodded to him, we said goodbye, and not much later I left the town.

Claw marks

In the village of Omd, a year ago (3 years, 5 months, and 16 days before Twilightfall)

I left Tiask at around noon. The way to Omd was short, at most three hours on horseback, but not without dangers. I ran into a pair of bandits along the way. I had no chance of avoiding them and had to put them down. I was fortunate and escaped the fight relatively unscathed. Not much after the battle, I arrived at the village.

It was a small settlement, with just one main road leading through it, with houses littered on both sides of the road. There were several villagers out in the road, going about their business. I asked one of them about where I could find the village elders. They guided me to the center of the village and told me to wait there, next to a ruined house. I had some time to observe the house while I was waiting for the elders. The door was torn down and one of the windows was smashed. There were also some slashing marks on the side of the doorway, marks that seemed like they were caused by claws. However, they had to be very large claws, and I couldn't fathom what kind of animal would have claws that big.

In a while, the village elders arrived. Three elderly figures, all men. We made introductions, and I told them why I was there. They told me to take a look at what had happened in the house. So I entered, while they waited outside.

The house was small, with few rooms. The walls were full of claw marks, and I could see some dry blood on the floor here and there. In the bedroom, everything was covered in dry blood. The bedsheets were torn to shreds, and this was the room which had the window smashed. Someone was killed in there, and in a very much brutal way.

I returned to the elders.

`Alright...' I told them. `I saw the remains. Now tell me what happened.'

`Don't you know?' they asked, surprised.

`I know what I was told, but I want to hear it from you. I need to know details.'

Their faces went pale, but they started to talk.

`Forgive us, it is difficult for us to speak of this. It was so sudden, and so tragic.'

`I understand, but I need to know what happened. No need to hurry, take your time.'

`Yes, kind sir. Well, as you have seen, the man who used to live here has been killed. About two weeks ago. Brutally... Something... Something broke into the house during the night, and tore him to pieces. His head was torn off, and his heart was ripped out. There was blood all over the place...'

`I've seen the blood, yes. Where is the corpse?'

`We already buried him, kind sir.'

`Describe the wounds for me.' I told them.

`Well... It was horrible... His head was torn off, and...'

`Yes, you told me, but what kind of wounds were there? Slashing wounds, like the marks on the door and the walls?'

`Yes, yes... It was just horrible...'

`Alright... I was told that you have a suspicion of what did this.'

`Well, not exactly...'

`No?'

`No, kind sir. The creature came at night, no-one ever saw it. We don't know what it could be.'

`I was told that you suspected wolves had done this...'

`Oh, you misunderstood, kind sir. We mentioned the wolves, but we never said we thought wolves had done this. You've seen the claw marks yourself, you must agree with us that no wolf could have done this.'

Unless it was a werewolf, I thought to myself, thinking back to Sepp's suspicion. The villagers were already very scared, I did not want to terrify them even more, so I did not voice my suspicion.

`Go on. Why did you mention the wolves?'

`They came after the night of the first murder.'

`First? There were more?'

`Yes, kind sir. Sadly... two more people died...'

`Alright, tell me of the wolves first.'

`Yes... The wolves came one night after the first murder. Six large wolves. They came close to the western edge of the town, and started howling. At first, we were scared, thinking they would attack us, but they did nothing. They came at dusk, and left after howling for an hour.'

`They did nothing else but howl for an hour?'

`Yes. As they left, we were relieved. The other day, we thought nothing of it any more. Until the evening. You see, the wolves came back.'

`They did?'

`Yes. Like the previous night, they just howled for an hour, and left. Since then, they keep coming back every night. Each and every night...'

`I don't understand.' I told them, shaking my head. `What could they want?'

`We don't know... We don't dare to approach them... They're big and fierce, whereas we are just simple peasants...'

`Alright... Now... You said, there had been other murders?'

`Yes... The first murder was two weeks ago. Then last week... Something attacked two men at the edge of the town at night. They were... They were ripped apart... It was horrible...'

`What were they doing out there at night if they knew that wolves lurked around the village?'

`They drank a little too much, and we think they simply got lost, that's how they ended up so far from their houses. So tragic... Then again, if it truly was the same creature, it would have probably broken into one of the houses anyway. Someone would have died just the same.'

`Has it come again?'

`No, not yet, but as it came last week and it came the week before... we fear that it will come again... Whatever it is...'

`If you ask me, it was one of those wolves.'

`That's hard for us to believe... Those marks couldn't have been caused by a wolf.'

I nodded, and chose to tell them of my suspicion.

`Indeed. No wolf I've ever seen had such huge claws. On the other hand, there is a chance that a werewolf did this.'

`A werewolf...?' they asked, looking at me with a horrified look in their eyes.

`I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you. It is just a possibility. I've dealt with a werewolf once, that is what leads me to suspect that it may have been one, but I am not certain. These marks seem to be larger even than what a werewolf could cause...'

`Are you saying... That whatever did this, is bigger than a werewolf?'

`I don't know. It may have been a bigger werewolf than the one I fought long ago, it may have been something else.' I told them. While the villagers just looked at me frightened of my suspicions, I heard someone speak up from the left of us. Someone with a deep, gruff voice.

`It was no wolf, and no werewolf. It was something else.'

I turned to face the voice and was very surprised to see a man dressed in black from head to toe, with a face covered by a hood. He was observing the claw marks on the wall. I looked at him for a while and slowly I realized that I had seen him, or someone dressed exactly like him in the tavern the night before. Although he left not much after I sat down by Sepp's table. There was no sign of him in the morning...

`You? I remember you. You were in Tiask yesterday... What are you doing here?' I asked.

`I am here to hunt down the creature that did this.' he said, again in a deep, gruff voice.

I looked at him for a while and wondered why he was never in the hunting party that was meant to come here. He was here alone. For what reason?

`Why are you here?' I asked him. `Are you aware that the town elders have refused to pay the reward the Mayor originally offered?'

`That's my business.' he said, shortly and simply. He turned away and proceeded to walk towards the western edge of the village. Towards the place where the wolves would supposedly show up at dusk.

I watched him walk for a while, then I turned back to the villagers.

`Can I leave my horse in your care? I'd rather not take a horse along on this hunt at night...' I told them, and offered a smooth crown coin to them.

`Of course, kind sir. We will take good care of your horse until you return. Good luck, and be safe. May you find and destroy that monster!' they said, and took the coin. I thanked them, and rushed after the hooded man.

`Wait!' I yelled after him. Ignoring me, he kept walking without slowing down. He stopped at the edge of the village, and just stayed there, looking into the distance.

As I finally caught up to him and stood beside him, I realized what he wanted to do.

`If you don't think it was the wolves, why are you waiting for them?' I asked. He slowly turned towards me. I could not see his face under his dark hood, but I felt a pair of icy cold eyes staring at me from the darkness.

`They know something.' he said finally.

`What do you mean?'

`They are calling the villagers. They want to show something to these people. Or anyone else who answers their call.'

`What...? You're not seriously thinking that wolves would try to help these people... Or are you?'

`It's no coincidence that the wolves came after the creature's first attack. They know something.'

`Or maybe they are trying to lure the villagers into a trap, did you think of that?' I asked. He didn't answer me. He just turned away and looked into the distance again.

`They will come soon. I will follow them.' he said after a while.

`You're insane...' I told him, shaking my head. He did not reply.

Many minutes passed in silence, until I finally came to a decision. I suspected the wolves were responsible for the murders, while the hooded man suspected the wolves knew something. Either way, it would be worthwhile to track them down, but going into a lair of a wolfpack alone would be suicide. For anyone.

`Look... You and I are here for the same goal. Let's team up!' I told him.

`You should leave. I work alone.' he said. He didn't sound angry, but his voice was quite unsettling.

`So do I, but this is an unusual situation. Surely, you don't want to walk into a den of bloodthirsty wolves all by yourself...'

He turned to me again and stared at me from beneath his hood for a good minute or so, until he finally nodded.

`Very well. But be aware... I'm on my own, you're on your own.'

`That's fine by me. Less wolves for each of us still makes things easier on us both.'

`Whatever.' he said, and he turned his gaze back to the road ahead of us. I froze solid after this comment, greatly surprised at his reaction. By the time I came to from the shock, the sun had fallen beneath the horizon. Moments after the last rays of the sun vanished, I heard the wolves howling. They had arrived...

The alpha male

In the village of Omd, a year ago (3 years, 5 months, and 16 days before Twilightfall)

At first I didn't see the wolves, I only heard their cries. That loud howling. Like when wolves howl at the full moon. Except that there was a crescent moon that night...

After a few minutes, I saw them. They were a little bit to the right of the road ahead, and were slowly approaching. They howled and howled, until they saw us. Then they became silent, and just stared at us. Six large wolves. I looked to one of them, and stared into his eyes, those wide black eyes. He gazed back into mine. A minute passed, and he turned his head to the sky and howled aloud. Then, he turned around and started walking. He stopped after a few feet, and then looked back at the others. They, too, howled, and then they turned around and joined the first wolf. They all looked back to us. They were waiting for us...

`Go.' said the hooded man beside me. `They want you to follow them.'

`What of you? Aren't you coming?'

`I am, but I'll fall back. I don't want to scare them.'

`Ha! Didn't you want to do this alone?'

`Go. They won't wait long.' he said, avoiding to answer my question. I shrugged, and walked towards the wolves. They slowly walked off into the night.

We followed them for almost an hour. At first through a grassy field, and then into a sparse forest. Finally, they lead us to a small glade within the forest. They stopped at the edge of the glade, turned to us, and howled. I stopped as well, and waited. Not much later, another wolf entered the glade from the far side.

This was much larger than the others. I swear it had to be the largest wolf I had ever seen. Massive claws, sharp, vicious fangs, black fur... A fearsome looking wolf. There were a few relatively recent wounds on his legs and torso, but he looked strong and healthy.

I looked into his deep black eyes, and he stared back at me intently, showing no fear. This is the alpha male, I thought to myself. The leader of the pack. As I looked into his eyes, my hand instinctively slipped onto the hilt of my sheathed sword. A moment later, a strong grip fastened onto my hand.

I looked there, and saw that the hooded man had grabbed onto my hand. I had forgotten about him, he was so silent and unseen as we followed the wolves.

`Don't.' he said, shortly and simply. I looked into the depths of his hood, trying to look him in the eye, but he just shook his head slightly. I loosened my grip on the sword and he released my hand. I released the hilt, and turned back to the alpha male.

The wolf was watching me with his large black eyes. He didn't seem like he was afraid of us. He had no reason to, he and the six wolves of his pack had a distinct numbers' advantage against us. Even then, I was expecting him to attack us. That this was no more than a trap. But I also started to suspect that the wolves did indeed want something from us.

The alpha male turned to the sky and howled aloud. His voice was much deeper than that of the other wolves. After the howl, he turned around and headed towards the trees. His pack followed him, and after some hesitation, so did I. The hooded man stayed behind once again.

The wolves lead us through the woods towards the mountain to the north. It took around a quarter of an hour and we reached the mountainside. The wolves stopped before the entrance of a large cave. Finally, they lined up on the two sides of the entrance, sat down, and looked at us expectantly. All, except the alpha male. The large pack leader stood in front of the cave entrance, and stared into its dark depths. After a while, he proceeded to enter the cave.

He stopped just a few feet from the entrance, and turned his head back towards me. He looked straight into my eyes. I found myself trying to discern his intentions by staring back into those deep, black eyes. His gaze was threatening, fierce. Though my common sense told me that he was leading us into a trap, I somehow had the feeling that the wolf meant harm to someone else. Someone who lived in the cave. Someone, or something...

I hesitated to follow the wolf, but after a while I decided to go after him. The wolf actually nodded his head towards me, like he was thanking me for joining him. Then he disappeared into the dark cave entrance. His pack stayed outside as I followed him into the cavern.

The eyes of the wolf

Somewhere west of Omd, a year ago (3 years, 5 months, and 16 days before Twilightfall)

The cave was very dark, so I stopped after a short while to light a torch. The hooded man seemed to appear out of nowhere as I entered the cave after the alpha male, and startled me. I looked at him questioningly, but he said nothing.

`Do you have a habit of sneaking up on people?' I asked him. `Someone may take offense to that someday...'

`Whatever.' he replied, and he walked past me and headed after the wolf.

`Why are you in such a hurry to take the lead now?' I asked, walking swiftly after him.

`The creature is here. Be prepared.' he said, avoiding to answer my question again. I shook my head and sighed.

`How would these wolves know, and why would they lead us here? Unless it is a werewolf and this is just a trap they set for us?' I asked. The hooded man replied shortly and simply.

`Look around, and see.' he told me, and then he went silent. His reply puzzled me, but I heeded his advice and I observed the cave around us as we followed the wolf. It was a fairly large cavern, and I could see various smaller sections forking away as we walked past. On the ground, I could see old bones that had been gnawed upon. Animal bones, mostly. Like the remains of a wolf's dinner...

`This is the pack's home...' I whispered to the hooded man, as I realized where we were. `This is a trap!'

`It's no trap.' he replied. `He wants us to help him reclaim their home.'

`What? What the Hell makes you think so?'

`They don't truly know what creature has moved in, but they instinctively fear it. They can feel what it is, and what it could do to them. The alpha male even fought the creature.'

`How would you know that?'

`Observe the scars.' he told me, motioning towards the alpha male walking ahead of us. I looked at the wolf and observed the wounds on his body. The wounds were no more than a few weeks old, at most. They seemed like they were caused by claws. Though they could have been caused by the claws of just about any predator, even another wolf, the alpha male was so large and fierce that it seemed hard to imagine. Whatever the wolf had fought, had to have been at least as big as he himself, or bigger.

My previous suspicion came back to my mind, about the werewolf. I recalled what I knew of werewolves. Those monsters are a mixture of man and wolf, and neither man nor wolf takes kindly to them. Werewolves live alone or in small packs of their own kind, never in the company of wolves. It seemed to make sense to assume that perhaps a werewolf took this cave from the alpha male and his pack. I told my suspicion to the hooded man, but he just shook his head at my suspicion.

`That creature is no werewolf.' he said.

`How can you be so sure?'

`Neither night upon which villagers were killed was a full moon.' he said. At first, I shook my head, but then I thought about it. He was right. At least, it was certain that on at least one of those nights there had been no full moon, as the two nights were just a week apart.

I looked at the wolf again. Observed the wounds again. I couldn't help but be baffled at the whole thing.

`What could it be, if not a werewolf?' I asked. The hooded man did not reply. Not much later, the wolf stopped and turned around. He looked at us and grinned viciously. Once again, I had the feeling he was not being aggressive towards us, but something else. Then he turned back forwards and continued walking.

We followed the wolf, and the ground slowly started to slope downwards. A while later we reached flat ground again. Down there, we found a small underground stream running silently along the edge of the cavern. The wolf led the way for us, and a while later he promptly stopped.

He walked to the stream, and looked into the water. He stood there motionless for a long time.

I stepped close to him, thinking to look into the water and figure out why he was standing there. The wolf suddenly turned around and growled at me, with a truly vicious look in his deep black eyes. I jumped back, and instinctively grabbed the hilt of my sword. But the wolf did not attack, it just stood there, grinning angrily at me, and growling. I slowly released the hilt of the sword, and the wolf turned back to the water after a while.

He looked into the water for a good half minute more, and then raised his head to the ceiling of the cave and let loose a howl. A howl full of sadness. Like he was mourning...

Finally, the wolf turned back to us. He looked straight into my eyes, and I could see tears in the corner of his deep black eyes. He looked at me with determination in his stare. Finally, he headed deeper into the cave.

I gazed towards the water briefly before I went after him, but there was nothing there. He was just remembering something. Or someone.

Then I thought back to his pack. Just six wolves. Seems a bit small for a pack that lived in such a large cavern. There was only an alpha male, whereas wolves are typically lead by an alpha pair. Where was the female, I asked myself. Where was the rest of the pack?

`That thing killed his mate...' I said to myself aloud. `That's why he fought it...'

`Yes.' said the hooded man, whom I forgot about once more. `He wants us to help him avenge her. Her, and the other fallen wolves of the pack.'

`How did you know...?' I asked slowly.

`I know those creatures. I know what they can do. What they like to do...' he said in reply, and then he fell silent again. That's when I asked him. Asked him the obvious question I should have asked long ago.

`What is that creature?' I asked him. He didn't reply.

`Didn't you hear me? What is that creature we're going up against?' I asked again. He just shook his head.

`Stay out of the fight.' he told me. `Forget what you will see. If you don't, you will never sleep in peace again.'

I meant to ask once more, but the wolf stopped again, and this prompted me to pay attention to him instead. He was staring straight ahead, towards a large cavern section. It seemed like this was the deepest part of the cave. A short while later, I noticed the figure up ahead, in the dark.

A lone humanoid figure. I slowly unsheathed my sword, and the figure began to approach. As he stepped close enough to be illuminated by my torch, I could see that it was in fact just a human man. A young bearded human man wearing tattered rags.

I lowered my sword and addressed him.

`Who are you? What are you doing down here?' I asked. The man shook his head, and replied in a whispering voice.

`You shouldn't have come here...' he told me.

`Why not? Who are you?'

`I am your end...' he said. `You shouldn't have come here. You shouldn't have come...'

I opened my lips to ask him again, but the wolf suddenly growled at him, and he jumped back. I didn't understand any of what was happening. That man could hardly have been the one who had caused those wounds on the alpha male, or the one who had committed the murders in the village. I couldn't fathom that. But I was given the answer in moments...

The bearded man suddenly fell to his knees, and grasped his chest. He looked me in the eye once again.

`You shouldn't have come...' he said one more time, then he closed his eyes, and let out a yell.

`Leave!' said the hooded man to me. `This is your last chance!'

I shook my head. I still didn't understand what was going on. The hooded man slowly unsheathed his sword. It was a long, curved bladed weapon. I could see that it was enchanted, like my own sword, but much more so than mine. And it was razor sharp.

He looked towards the wailing man, and held his sword at the ready. Moments later, the wailing man slowly began to change...

At first, his contours became blurred. Then, he started to grow, and completely changed his appearance. It all took mere moments, and he became something... something else. Something terrifying. As I looked at that creature, I wished he was just a mere werewolf.

For the creature he changed into was horror made flesh... It was tall. At least eight feet, if not more. It had four arms and large paws. On all four of its hands, I could see massive, razorsharp claws. As I looked at those claws, I realized that it was this creature who had made those claw marks in the village.

I looked up to its head, intending to look it in the eye. I lowered my weapon and just stood there in shock, as I beheld the sight of its head. It had three faces... One at the front, one on each side. It stared towards me with the face on the front, grinning with its monstrous, razorsharp teeth. A short while later it began to laugh. It was a crude, sickening laughter...

I looked towards the alpha male and the hooded man. The wolf seemed to hesitate whether or not to attack. He was terrified, but he was not about to back out of the fight. As for the hooded man...

He didn't tremble. He didn't look like he was about to flee. No. He slowly approached the creature, sword at the ready.

As the creature saw the clear threat, it turned its gaze away from me and turned towards the hooded man instead. At that very moment, he rushed at the creature with lightning quickness, and struck with his sword. The blade pierced into the creature's body with ease, and that huge beast cried out loud. Whether in pain or just anger, I could not say.

The hooded man pulled his sword back out, and struck again. This time, the creature was able to block his attack with its claws. The hooded man would not retreat however. He pulled the sword back and struck again.

They fought like that for many long minutes, and all I could do, was watch them. I was mesmerized by that threatening monster. I could not fathom what it was, or how it got there, or what it was doing there. I watched as it fought the hooded man. It took me a while to consciously realize that the hooded man is an exceptionally skilled swordsman. That huge beast could not injure him even once, and he managed to cut into the creature several times, although the beast didn't seem to be bothered much by the wounds.

The wolf beside me was watching the battle intently. He was still hesitating about whether or not to enter the fray. He was terrified, but determined to stay. For the time being, he just watched the fight, like I did.

Many more minutes passed, when the hooded man seemed like he would turn the tide of the battle. With a swift and unexpected movement of his sword, he cut one of the creature's arms off.

The beast cried out loud as its severed arm hit the ground, and took several steps back. The hooded man would show no mercy, he relentlessly continued his onslaught of the creature. Then, the creature stopped retreating and instead rushed towards him. It was impaled on the hooded man's sword, but it was still able to grab him.

I thought the creature would tear him limb from limb, but instead, it grabbed the hooded man and raised him high above its head. As it did so, the hooded man pulled the sword out of its body and struck towards its head. He managed to thrust the sword into one of the creature's eyes, but that didn't slow it down. It raised him even higher, and then tossed him against the wall. The hooded man fell against the wall with tremendous impact, and I was certain that it broke at least half the bones in his body. Finally, he fell down to the ground. He was motionless.

Then the creature turned towards me and the wolf.

I looked at the alpha male, but still he seemed like he didn't know what to do. He was terrified. The creature smiled at us, and started to laugh.

It laughed like that for a good half minute. Finally, as its laughter faded, it began to approach us. It was staring directly at the alpha male.

With a sudden thought, I raised my sword and stepped between the wolf and the creature. The beast looked at me and grinned viciously. It raised its arms and prepared to attack. I yelled aloud and charged towards it.

Honestly, I didn't even know what I was doing. But I knew deep inside that the creature would not stop killing until someone destroyed it. The hooded man had fallen, the alpha male wolf was too frightened. I was the only one left to stop it. I knew I had no chance, but I had to fight the creature.

I charged it as I let out a loud battlecry and thrust my sword towards the creature. Even I myself was surprised when the sword pierced its body, but I did not stop to wonder. I pulled the sword out and stabbed again. I guess the creature was simply surprised, it did not expect me to strike so swiftly, but it didn't wait long to strike back, either. It easily parried my second attack, and then struck towards my chest. I had no chance to evade it. It knocked me to the ground and I fell back by several feet. I lost my breath as I hit the ground, it was such a tremendous impact. I shook my head and slowly stood up. I looked down to my chest. The creature's claws had ripped my armor open, and slashed into my skin. The wounds were not severe, but bleeding nonetheless. I looked towards the creature, and it merely laughed at me.

That laughter enraged me, and I raised my sword and charged it with a battlecry. But the creature was prepared for me. As I tried to thrust my sword into it, it blocked my attack with ease, and the next thing I knew was that I was flying backwards. As I hit the ground, I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I looked there, still on the floor, and saw that the creature had slashed deep into my arm. There were three deep wounds that were mildly bleeding.

Slowly, I stood up, and faced the creature. I let out a loud battlecry once more, and rushed it. This time, I tried to slash towards its side, hoping to cut one of its arms off, but it blocked my attack, and then it struck me in the chest. Again, I fell back and landed several feet away. I felt tremendous pain in my chest. My armor was pretty much rendered useless by that blow, and the new wounds it had made on my chest were mildly bleeding.

I found it hard to breathe, but I tried to get up. Somehow I stumbled onto my feet, but then fell back to the ground. I tried to get up again, slower. I managed to get up on two knees, then tried to stand up. As I knelt on one knee, I felt for certain that I would fall again if I tried to stand up. I gasped, and waited. The creature laughed at me and approached, to finish me off.

As I looked at it and raised my sword in defense, I suddenly heard the wolf's howling. The alpha male let out a loud, angry howl. I looked towards him. He turned his head towards the creature, and looked at it fiercely. The look in the eyes of the wolf was nothing short of fierce. He was still afraid of the creature, but he had overcome his fears and was determined to fight.

A moment later, the alpha male charged towards the creature and jumped against its chest. In the next moment, the massive weight of the alpha male drifted the creature away, and knocked it to the ground. The wolf stood on the creature, growled in anger, and slashed towards the beast, all the while staring at it with anger in his deep black eyes. Slash after slash the wolf delivered to the creature, and it did nothing to defend itself. After the first dozen slashes, it started to laugh. The wounds the wolf was causing didn't matter to it. A moment later, it struck towards the wolf with one of its arms. I was certain it would shake him off and knock him far back, but it didn't. The wolf caught that arm between his jaws, and firmly bit on it.

The creature cried out loud, perhaps in pain, perhaps just in anger. For many long moments it yelled, while the wolf was gnawing on its arm. Then it slashed towards the wolf with its two free arms. It ripped into the wolf mercilessly with its vicious claws. It ripped and ripped and ripped, causing the wolf deep, bleeding wounds. But the wolf just would not let go.

A minute passed like this, and the wolf was slowly covered in blood. Then suddenly, I heard a cracking sound, and the creature cried out. This time, it was clearly a cry of pain. For the wolf managed to bite off the forearm of the creature. He turned away and spat the forearm to the ground, and then looked up and howled aloud. His howl was weak, but triumphant. I had the feeling that he might have suffered mortal wounds. In the next moment, the creature knocked him off, and he rolled several feet away, leaving a trail of his own blood on the ground.

The creature stood up, and went after the wolf. The alpha male was down on the ground, and couldn't stand up. There and then, in that moment, I felt that I had to help him. I tried once more to stand up, and somehow, I stumbled to my feet. I took a step towards the creature, and felt that I could barely stand. Yet I kept moving.

The creature advanced on the wounded alpha male, while the wolf could not stand up, try as he may. I could see that two of his legs were broken during the fall, and he was severely bleeding in countless places. I raised my sword and yelled aloud at the creature. It stopped and turned towards me, and I pointed at it with my sword.

In response, it looked at me with a wicked smile. I started to slowly move around it in a semicircle, towards the wounded alpha male. All the while I looked straight at the creature. As I finally got to the wolf, I glanced at him briefly. He looked back at me with his deep black eyes. I could see it in his eyes, that he was ashamed. It was almost like he was saying, that he had failed. Still, there was the determination in his eyes, but he knew he could never kill the creature now. I turned back to the creature, and stood right between it and the wolf. I looked at it with a threatening gaze, trying to mimic the look I saw in the eyes of the wolf when he first charged the creature.

`You will fall...' I said to the creature. In response, it simply laughed at me crudely. I held my head high, steadfast, and prepared myself for the creature's strike. For the strike which would no doubt kill me, or leave me helpless. But a moment later, I heard a wolf howling again.

It was not the alpha male. I looked towards the entrance of this cave section, and saw six large wolves approaching. The pack, who had stayed outside. The wolves that were no doubt even more terrified of the creature than their pack leader. They came to aid their leader.

As they marched in, they stopped and looked at me. There was something in their eyes that made me think they were surprised to see me defending the alpha male like that. They watched me like that for a half minute, and then they marched towards me. In a matter of moments, they lined up beside me, and stared down the creature, growling. They were scared, but they would not leave me to fight alone.

The creature ceased to smile.

`Scared, are you?' I asked, trying to sound fierce, trying to mock it. `I told you, you will fall.'

The creature raised its head and cried out loud. It was some kind of battlecry, I think. Then looked straight at me, and took a step forward.

And then...

Then, it cried out in pain, and the tip of a sword came out on its chest, right in the middle. The blade was twisted, then pulled back. A moment later, the creature fell to the ground. From behind the creature, the hooded man emerged, bloody sword in hand.

He didn't even acknowledge me or the wolves, he lowered his sword and stepped in front of the creature. He pulled something from his belt and stabbed it in the creature's heart, which then let out a painful wail. A few moments later the hooded man took a step back, raised his sword high above, and struck towards the creature's neck. He chopped its head clean off. Then, he slowly sheathed his sword and stood there, staring down the creature.

He stood like that for a good minute or so, and then simply proceeded to walk towards the exit.

`Hey!' I yelled after him. He stopped, and turned around.

`What?' he asked, in his deep, gruff voice. He didn't sound like he was injured. Not at all...

`Are you... are you okay?'

`Yes.' he said simply, nodding.

`How...? That impact...'

`I must go.' he said, and then he turned away.

`Wait! I didn't even thank you...'

`Don't.' he said, without even turning around. Not much later, he vanished from my view.

I lowered my sword and sheathed it, staring towards where he left the cavern. As he walked away and left me alone with my thoughts, I couldn't help but think back to what had happened to the Mayor of Tiask. He had been assassinated by a professional, one who could slip in unseen, kill in silence, and slip out unseen. He had been killed with a single stab to the back, a lethally precise strike right through the heart.

This mysterious hooded man had been ever so elusive. He walked so silently behind me on the way to the cave that by the time we entered I forgot he was even there. He snuck up on the creature so silently that neither I, nor the creature noticed him. And he took the creature down with a single, lethally precise stab in the back...

Yes... The mysterious hooded man silently and swiftly snuck up on the creature and stabbed it in the back like a professional assassin would strike a victim in the back, and even twisted the sword before pulling it out... So I wondered, if he, the one who defeated that monster, was in fact much more than he appeared to be...

I thought back to the night before. I saw him in the tavern, but he left not much after my arrival. The Mayor supposedly died sometime after that. When I met the hooded man in Omd, I didn't even think about this, but after I had seen him kill the creature the way he did... I couldn't help but think of this possibility.

Could it be? Could it be that it was he who assassinated the Mayor? If so, why would one such as he bother to hunt down this terrifying creature?

Minutes passed as I was lost in my thoughts, and slowly I realized that the wolves were whining behind me. I turned around, and saw that they were standing around the alpha male. He still lived, but he was dying. His pack knew this, and whimpered silently.

I stepped closer, and the alpha male raised his head towards me. He nodded towards me, and blinked slowly. I knelt beside him and reached for his head, and patted it. He blinked once more, and growled silently. It was not an aggressive growl, it was more like a whisper. Slowly I realized, that the wolf was thanking me. He was thanking me for aiding him, for helping him avenge his mate. I patted his head once more, but moments later, he lowered his head to the ground, and closed his eyes. The wolves around him raised their heads high one by one, and let out a silent howl. They howled again, and again. They mourned their fallen leader. There I found myself, kneeling beside them, and feeling with them. Wishing, that there was some way to undo the damage that was done. That there was some way to bring him back.

But he was gone. The creature had killed him. His pack had the sole comfort of knowing that creature lay dead as well. I lowered my head, and slowly realized, that I would never look at wolves the way I did before. Wolfhunter, they called me. But after that night, I knew I could never hunt a wolf again as long as I lived. Indeed, I never did.

And believe me when I tell you, that I never will...

Epilogue

Prelude to a nightmare

Gatestown, present day (2 years, 3 months, and 4 days before Twilightfall)

`Okay.' says the bartender, as I finish. `I suppose I understand now why you quit hunting wolves, if a wolf saved your life and all that, but... let me get something straight... This creature... It had three faces? And four arms? Are you sure you didn't just dream it all?'

`I am not making this up!' I tell him. `I know what I saw! That thing had four arms, and three faces... and it was huge!'

`Alright... Then I think I'll go get a bottle of wine...'

`I told you that you would...'

`Yeah.'

He gets a bottle from under the bar and opens it. He pours some into his cup, and drinks it swiftly. He offers to pour more into a cup for me as well, but I wave my hand in refusal. He shrugs, and fills up his own cup again.

`What the Hell was that thing, huh? A demon?'

`I don't know. I have never seen a demon. I could easily imagine that they look like this creature, but I don't know. Regardless, whatever this creature was, it was horror made flesh. I can't stop thinking about what all this means...'

`What do you mean?'

`That assassin claimed, he knew their kind, and he was apparently hunting them. That means, there are more of those things out there, disguised as humans, like you and me. No telling how many, and no telling when they start a killing spree like this one did.

And the Enforcers are doing nothing. Did you think this through? If the Council knows of these creatures, why aren't they doing anything? If they don't know, how can we expect them to keep us safe?'

`Maybe they know and they are doing something. Maybe that hooded guy is an Enforcer.'

`Impossible. He is an assassin, I am sure of this! The Enforcers would never work with someone like that.'

`The Enforcers do a lot of dirty things. Especially that Commander Shyrn, damn him and his pale kind... Who knows, maybe they even work with figures of the underworld...'

`I doubt that this assassin is with them.'

He empties his cup, and pours himself some more wine. He takes a deep breath, and silently looks into the wine in his cup with a thinking expression.

`You know, these are strange times we live in.' he says after a while. `Why, just the other day I heard someone speak about a lunatic that drinks people's blood, like wine. It's not even a vampire, it's just a mere human. Imagine that... The guy got caught in an alley after he killed someone with a slash to the throat, and started drinking the poor man's blood. He drank that blood, like wine... Imagine that...'

`Disgusting... What happened to him?'

`He got away. The Enforcers didn't bother to hunt him down. They have better things to do, it seems. Never mind that he killed someone, he's still just a lone freak who is not worth their attention. But don't worry. Men like these always meet their end in time.'

`I wouldn't bet on that... This is a sick, sick world. Just look at how many bandits roam the roads, unchecked.'

`True, but they get cut down by the more skillful of travelers eventually. You said you killed a few of them during this trip last year, too.'

`I did, but I avoided most of them. I'm not stupid to go looking for a fight with them alone. Who would be?'

`Bandits are a dime a dozen. Their own lifestyle kills them eventually. Although you are right somewhere. No matter how many of them bite the dust, there are plenty others to take their place. Like fucking cockroaches...'

I nod, and slowly arise from my chair.

`I should go.' I tell him.

`So soon? I thought you'd stay the night.'

`No. I will leave right away. I will have things to do up north in a few weeks anyway.'

`You're going out there? Alone? At night? Are you nuts? Do you know how dangerous these roads are? Whatever business you have, it can't be urgent enough to rush blindly into the arms of bandits waiting along the road. You said it yourself, only a fool would go pick a fight with them alone, especially at night!'

`You know... Ever since that day, since I've seen that creature, I've felt, that I was part of something greater than what I could see. Ever since, I can't help but get the feeling that what I've seen that night was merely a prelude. A prelude to something nightmarish that will happen soon. I don't know, this is just a gut feeling that I had when I saw that creature, but I had such a gut feeling many years before that, and it lead to nothing good back then, either... And today... Today, all day, I've had that same gut feeling. Something is going to happen soon. Here. Whatever it is, I do not want to be a part of it.'

He looks at me with a strongly surprised look on his face, silently. After over a minute, he rubs his lips and shakes his head.

`You're serious, aren't you? You're gonna go out into the night, alone?'

`I told you. I don't want to be a part of whatever will happen here soon.'

`Look... This is Gatestown. The City of Mages is just beyond the Gateway. If anything happens here, the Council will send battlemages to deal with it. Even if anything were to happen, they would deal with it.'

`I'm not so sure...'

`Ha! What could possibly happen here that the battlemages of Re'Cas couldn't handle?'

`I don't know, but I am not waiting around to find out. I'm leaving. You should, too.' I tell him. I turn around and walk towards the door. He calls after me, but I do not respond, I do not stop, I do not turn around. I step towards the door just as a blond haired man in plate armor steps inside, carrying a book.

`Bloody Hell...' says the bartender to himself, as he sees the blond man. I suppose they're not on the best of terms. No matter. The blond man holds the door open for me and smiles. I nod to him in gratitude and leave the tavern. I slowly walk towards the edge of the town.

Minutes pass, and I slowly walk along the north road, lost in my thoughts, thinking of what comes our way. About a half hour passes as I reflect upon my memories of the creature. Suddenly, I hear the sound of footsteps.

I stop, and wait, listening into the night. I hear footsteps advancing on me. A minute passes, and a number of dark figures emerge from the cover of night before me. Six or seven men. Bandits.

`Hold, traveler!' exclaims one of them. `You are trespassing on our land! You have to pay the price! In coin, or blood! Or both...'

I stare at the speaker in silence for a while, and then silently nod. I raise my head to the sky, and let loose the howl. The howl the wolves taught me a year ago. The wolves, who have been my constant companions ever since that fateful night, following me in the wilderness along the roads wherever I roamed.

Moments pass, and the wolves rush out of the wild and onto the road, and line up beside me. They growl in anger at the bandits. While I narrow my eyes and stare at the bandits like the alpha male stared into the eyes of that creature on that fateful night...

`Yes, my friends...' I tell the wolves, as I slowly unsheathe my sword. `Tonight, you may dine on humans...'

Adrian's Way: Loyalty

I have to hand it to Sed and his entourage of would-be revolutionaries, they know how to make a deal sound sweet. They came to me because they thought I'd be easy to talk into taking their lead. They think my ambition is larger than my brain. They think with the mind of an apprentice, while I think with the mind of an Inner Circle magician, as I must. Furthermore, they never understood why I'm here, what I desire from the Guild. Becoming Magister is something I never cared about. Understanding magic is what I desire, and I have all I need for that now. On the other hand...

On the other hand, if I was the Magister, things would be so much easier. For one I would have more time to spend in the library. I could pass all the menial chores on to the Inner Circle. It would also mean that I would be able to build up connections in Re'Cas quicker. That would certainly be helpful. Quite appealing, indeed... - Adrian Rand, 4 years, 7 months, and 11 days before Twilightfall

Prologue

The Fifth Trial of the Magi

Mage Guild of Ashkel, Ceremonial Hall, two years ago (6 years, 9 months, and 4 days before Twilightfall)

`We have gathered here today to present an honor to one of the finest young magicians of our Guild.' Magister Kelnys said as he began his speech to the Inner Circle. `As you all know, apprentices go through a series of trials as they study in our Guild, and they become one of us when they prove that they have mastered the Arcane Arts to a level where they can attempt to cast the most powerful of spells. Only when mage apprentices have passed all five trials can they rightfully call themselves magicians.'

He paused for a while and looked at the members of the Inner Circle. A hundred or so mages gathered before the pedestal in the back of the Ceremonial Hall, all of them dressed for the occasion, wearing those fancy useless robes that a stereotypical wizard should wear in the minds of commoners. Most of them looked bored, but they all payed careful attention to the Magister as he swept his gaze over them. The Magister frowned slightly, and then turned his attention away from them. He looked to the lone man standing at the edge of the pedestal. Another figure wearing a fancy, useless wizard robe. The wizard apprentice whom he was about to present with the aforementioned honor. Me.

He smiled, and turned back to the Circle members.

`I must say, I feel privileged today, for this young magician here is the youngest man ever to have passed the Fifth Trial of the Magi. I believe he is just barely above the age of fifty, although you surely cannot tell by looking at him.'

Bored they may have been, but all the members of the Inner Circle chuckled as he referred to the age slowing effect of magic. As the silent laughter faded away, he continued.

`Indeed, no-one has ever passed this Trial under the age of sixty. Thus, this young apprentice has not only proven himself to be a capable and disciplined magician, but also as one of the most talented students I have ever seen. Truly, he has the potential to one day even be Magister. To induct someone like that into our ranks is truly a privilege.'

I looked at the gathering of robed figures in the room. A hundred or so experienced mages, most well over a hundred years old no doubt, though none of them looked older than sixty, of course. Some of them looked at me with respect and admiration, while most looked at me with envy and hatred. It was to be expected, of course. It bothered me, but it did not unsettle me.

`Step forward now, apprentice.' the Magister said, turning to me. I stepped up to the pedestal and walked towards him. I stopped a few steps in front of him and bowed my head in respect.

`Adrian Rand, I hereby bestow upon you the title of magician. You are an apprentice no more.' he said, and then he handed me a magical signet ring bearing the recognized symbol of magic in Ess'yer, a blue pentagram insignia. `Take this ring and honor our Guild from now until the day the Afterlife claims your soul. Use the knowledge you have gained well, and never forget that for a mage, the time of learning never ends.'

I took the ring, which was a symbolic item worn by the Inner Circle mages. I slipped it on my finger and could instantly feel the power locked within. It was more than a symbolic ring, it was powerfully enchanted with defensive magics.

The Magister nodded, and then looked me seriously in the eye. He opened his lips to say the last words of the ceremony.

`There is only one thing left to be said now... Welcome to the Inner Circle, Adrian!' the Magister said, and he extended his hand to me. I grasped it and shook it, and nodded my head in respect.

`Thank you, Magister.' I told him. And so it was done. I was one of the Inner Circle, one of the most privileged members of the Mage Guild of Ashkel...

The apprentice's way

Mage Guild of Ashkel, Adrian Rand's Quarters, present day (4 years, 7 months, and 11 days before Twilightfall)

Two years it's been since that day. And what a day it was. What a big deal it all was... I wish such a thing didn't have such weight, but I do not make the rules here. And there is nowhere else to go.

Ashkel is the one place in Delamar where magicians can truly learn. In fact, for humans, it's the one place in all of Ess'yer. The elves, wood elves and night elves both, are very proud of their superior mastery of the Arcane Arts, and refuse to teach humans or any other non-elves. The dwarves of Arudden have inferior magical skill, only an idiot would want to learn the art from them. The trolls have no mages at all. The orcs, while their skill is on par with that of our kind, are especially not keen on teaching human apprentices. They can't stand humans, despite the near thousand year long peace between our people under the so-called guidance of the Supreme Council. In Delamar, while many mage guilds exist, only the one in Ashkel offers any true possibilities to learn the arcane arts. Therefore, a human has only two real options: Ashkel, or Re'Cas. And there the choice is sadly simple.

Re'Cas, the great City of Mages beyond the Gateway, is situated in a small artificially created plane of existence populated exclusively by wizards. Ashkel may be Delamar's capital, but Re'Cas is the real seat of power. It is the place where the Supreme Council resides. It takes great power or a large amount of coin to gain apprenticeship in Re'Cas, if one was not born there. A man of my background has no real chance of making it there. Hence, no matter how much I dislike the way the Guild functions, I joined because I knew I had no other choice. It was something I knew I had to pursue since I was young. Magic is in my blood, even my parents had to accept that. They were even proud when they heard that I became what is generally considered as an accomplished mage - at least in practice, even if not in title - when I passed the Third Trial of the Magi. Of course, they didn't come to visit and congratulate me in person. Not surprising, really. No matter.

I was twenty when I joined the Guild, and although I was young and inexperienced, I had no illusions. I knew what to expect, I had heard enough about it. Ashkel has been the capital of Delamar for fifteen centuries, and for the first five hundred years of that time it used to be a great city. Then came the Great War with the dragons a thousand years ago and Ashkel was burned to the ground. The Mage Guild came into existence shortly after the city was rebuilt following the war. Since then, it has been governed by the same strict set of rules that no-one bothers to change. Part of that is the Trial.

Mage apprentices are welcome to join the Guild no matter where they come from. Including non-humans. I heard that once there were even a few elves who studied here, but they departed eventually, to who knows where. My family was poor, so I was fortunate that the Guild required no monetary sacrifice from me or my family. But I did have to adhere to the rules of the Guild.

In order for an apprentice to advance within the Guild, he must pass five Trials one after the other. Each Trial tests the apprentice's skill with the magics he knows, and if completed, gives the apprentice access to a new section of the Guild's library. Mage apprentices where not allowed to study the more powerful spells until they were deemed worthy, and it was the Trials with which it was decided who was worthy. The Trials themselves are a reasonable means of filtering out the incompetent apprentices who would only endanger themselves by attempting to tackle more powerful spells, but, there is a catch. There is always a catch.

The Trials cannot be attempted at the apprentice's leisure, the apprentice must ask for the Trial to take place. The request is judged by the Inner Circle, and the final decision lies in the hands of the Magister. No-one can attempt to pass the Trials until the Magister deems them worthy of attempting it.

Therein lies the greatest flaw of the Guild. An apprentice does not advance based on talent, but based on disposition with the Inner Circle, and in particular, the Magister. A well liked apprentice can advance faster than a disliked one, regardless how much less talented the well liked one may be. Many a talented mage apprentice has left the Guild half way through their studies because of this, and it was common knowledge, even if considered to be rumors by the commoners.

I knew this. I knew all about it. I didn't like it but I accepted that these are the rules and I must adhere to them if I am to reach my goal. It was better to suffer this than to be denied guidance, guidance I desperately needed. So I joined the Guild at the age of twenty. I was fifty-two years old when I was finally allowed to attempt the Fifth Trial. The fact that the Magister likes me had quite a lot to do with that. I went out of my way to gain the Magister's favor by volunteering to many of the more difficult chores he offered to apprentices. Many Inner Circle mages looked at me with suspicion and jealousy because of it, but I knew that there were only two ways to get ahead: either gain the favor of the vast majority of the Inner Circle, or gain the favor of the Magister. It was obvious to me that the latter would be quicker, provided I was willing and able to brave his tasks.

He called them challenges. It was his idea of trying to pick out the best apprentices from the crowd. In practice, his challenges didn't work well since they were far too difficult. Not many dared to try them, and most failed in the end. Most feared those challenges, but I considered them my way ahead. I took notice of them as soon as I passed the First Trial. Therefore, thinking ahead, I made sure to observe whenever an apprentice chose to tackle one of the Magister's challenges.

I studied them. I learned from them. I learned from their mistakes. When the time came for me to take those challenges, I made good use of my knowledge. I do not know if the Magister really noticed this, but it didn't matter. He was impressed with me, and he eventually supported me. It doesn't matter how he feels about me, all that matters is that I got what I wanted in the end.

Now, for the past two years, I've been one of the Inner Circle. I can now study the most powerful spells in the tomes of the library. Now I can truly improve my skills, and truly understand magic in general. That is why I came here, after all. Magic has fascinated me ever since I first realized that I have the power to manipulate magical energy. I longed to understand it, to know what it is and where it originates from. I needed the guidance of experienced wizards to get to the level where I can study this fascinating phenomenon of nature on my own. I reached that level when I passed my Third Trial, but I still needed to gain access to the entirety of the Guild's library. So I kept pushing forward, and eventually, I got there.

Not that I reached my true goal with this, of course. It will be years, decades, perhaps centuries before I reach the understanding of magic that I seek, but now I finally have the means, and so time is all I need from now on.

Being part of the Inner Circle means far more than the library, of course, and the intrigue I've come to experience in the Guild did not end with the Fifth Trial. For one, I now have the duty to instruct apprentices. A menial, boring task of providing them with guidance, a chore which I do not enjoy despite that I still remember how much I needed such guidance many years ago myself. Then there are the various ridiculously meaningless discussions of the Inner Circle. Every month we gather for some stupid reason or another and most of those ignorant miscreants argue for hours about petty things even going so far as to openly lie into each other's face to make their point and throw empty threats at each other that no-one takes seriously. The useless arguing goes on until finally a decision is made on the matter. Sometimes I long for the times when I was still just an apprentice, and did not have to be a part of all this. But of course, I don't really want go back. I don't look back. I look forward. Always.

Indeed, that's enough contemplating over the past. Sed and the others will be here soon. Whatever could they possibly want other than some favor or another from an Inner Circle mage? Yes, I'm sure it's a favor they want. I'm very sure...

The time of change

Mage Guild of Ashkel, Adrian Rand's Quarters, present day (4 years, 7 months, and 11 days before Twilightfall)

`Come in!' I respond to the knocking sound on my door. The door opens and they step into the room, three men and a woman. Sed and his three constant companions, so to speak. The blond haired Inghran, the bald and bearded Lev, and the little redhead, Inghran's lover, Christine. All of them wearing traditional wizard robes as if they were heading to some official meeting or another. While I myself am just wearing casual clothes. Did they get all dressed up just for me, or are they idiotic enough to wear those stupid robes all day? Eh, no matter.

`Hello, Adrian!' says Sed after the door shuts behind them. I nod to each of them in response, finally greeting Christine.

`Christine, you're as beautiful as ever!' I tell her, frowning.

`Up yours, Adrian!' comes the response I expected. She is still angry about that one night adventure we had many years ago.

`Christine, please!' says Inghran, her on again off again lover. `We are not here to argue.'

`I see no point being here at all!' she says. `He'll never do it.'

Ah, yes. Just what I thought. They want something from me.

`If you'll excuse me I'll make myself comfortable before you try talking me into some nonsense.' I tell them, as I sit down on the chair by my desk. I wave my hand and use my magic to conjure myself a glass of cold water to drink. `By all means, have a seat yourselves!'

`Thanks, but we'd rather stand.' says Sed, and then raises his hand like he is about to cast a spell. `But if I may?'

`Go ahead.' I tell him, as I drink some water. He waves his hand and utters the words, sealing the room with a screening field, preventing others from eavesdropping. So, whatever they want must have some weight then.

I put the glass on the desk and look at him.

`Well? What's so important, Sed? Are you here to confess your feelings for Lev?'

`Shut your mouth, Adrian!' screams Lev. He is normally silent, rarely says a word. When he does, it is usually loud.

`Oh, are you still with that other guy?'

`Adrian, please!' says Sed. `We are not here to argue.'

`Of course.' I tell him, smiling. `I was jesting.'

`Keep your stupid jokes to yourself.' says Christine.

`Just get to the point. Why are you here?'

`Adrian, how long have we known each other?' asks Sed.

Well, there's something I didn't expect he would ask. We've known each other since I came here. We pretty much started together. We passed the First Trial about the same time, him and me. We met the others not much after that. Inghran and Christine came to the Guild together, and Lev joined sometime after they arrived. Sed had known them all from someplace, and insisted that we form a clique of sorts.

We did many things together. We had parties together. We mocked each other relentlessly at such times. Sed often called me the black sheep of the group because I had the darkest hair, despite that it isn't exactly black, rather dark brown. I in turn often mocked him for wearing his light brown hair in braids like a girl. We all mocked Lev for being so silent. We were good friends, we had good times.

We also prepared for our Second and Third Trials together. Then they started to fall back. I was allowed my Fourth Trial much before any of them. Then we started meeting less. I was focused on getting to the Fifth Trial, while they were still all occupied with the Fourth, and they were all upset none of them were allowed to try it. Though they never said it, I am sure they are envious of me.

In short, though we rarely meet nowadays, we have a long and varied history. We've literally known each other for decades. Not something a man like Sed would soon forget. So why would he ask?

`I've known you as long as you have me, Sed.' I tell him, still puzzled about his question. `You know how long that has been just as much as I do. Don't you?'

He nods.

`Have I ever asked you for a favor that could change our lives forever?' he asks.

I sigh.

`No, but I guess you're about to. Aren't you?'

Now he, too, sighs deeply, and then just looks at me silently.

`It is time for a change, Adrian.' he says finally. `A great change.'

`In what?'

`The Guild.'

`Ah. I see. Well, good luck with that.' I tell him, frowning. `Well tell me then, what do you want me to present at the next meeting of the Inner Circle? What possible difference do you think it could ever possibly make?'

`Nothing, Adrian. We don't want you to present anything. It would be no use. Everything goes through the Magister in the end. And you know well that Magister Kelnys is too shortsighted.'

`So I ask again. Why are you here?'

`You know well that we have long ago reached the level of competence as mages to be allowed to try the Fourth Trial. Yet... Kelnys won't let us.'

`Hold on, I thought you did that last month.'

`I did, and I passed, but the others... They were not allowed to try. The Magister thinks it's too early. Adrian... I am no better than they are, yet I passed. So could they. I know it.'

`Well, that's a shame, Sed, really. But maybe you're wrong. Maybe you are better.'

`That's typical you, Adrian!' says Christine. `Belittling us like that. Just how dare you, after all the...'

`Oh, don't get upset, Christine. Face it, some are better than others. But don't worry, I'm sure you're on your way to the Fourth. Have patience. You are all mages, magic slows down the aging process in all of you, you have plenty of time.'

`That's easy for you to say Mister Inner Circle mage! Mister I kissed Kelnys's ass so much he gave me the Fifth Trial earlier than anyone else in the history of the Guild!'

`Christine, that's enough!' shouts Sed.

`He's right, Christine.' says Inghran. `We are not here to argue. Let Sed explain everything to Adrian. Have patience.'

As he says that, Christine's face turns red with anger, but she says nothing. I smile. It is so amusing...

`This Guild has been like this for centuries, Adrian.' says Sed turning back to me. `We're going to change that. We have to remove Kelnys from power, and someone else must take his place. Someone willing to make a change for the sake of the future of this Guild and its current and future apprentices.'

He didn't... He didn't just say what I think he did... Or did he?

I slowly stand up from the chair.

`Remove Kelnys from power?' I ask slowly.

`There is no other way. Even if the entire Inner Circle were to revolt against him, which will never happen, the Magister's word is always final. Nothing will change until he goes.'

`The Magister's position is one for life. There will be no new Magister until Kelnys dies.'

`That is correct, Adrian...'

He did. He did say exactly that. I sigh and frown at the lunatic before me.

`I see. And which of you idiots will be the Magister after you pull off your ridiculously implausible plan?'

`You know well that the new Magister must be one of the Inner Circle. Neither of us can replace him. That's why we're here.'

I stare at him for a while in silence, and then I smile.

`Good one! You almost got me there, Sed! It's the funniest prank you ever came up with! I am impressed, your sense of humor has evolved far above that of a hyena.'

`It's not a prank, Adrian! We need you! We have to make a change in the Guild, and we cannot do it without you. You must lead us, Adrian. You have the power, you have the skill, and you even have the means to take Kelnys's seat after it's done.'

I cease to smile and look through the lot of them one by one. Inghran looks at me with determination, Christine with annoyance, Lev with seriousness, and Sed... Sed stares at me like he already killed the Magister in his mind a thousand times over. There is death in his eyes, as well as determination, and anger.

I frown at him as I give him my answer.

`You have obviously mistaken me for a man who has the word gullible tattooed on his forehead.'

`Adrian, listen to me! We need you! You're the only one I can trust with this, and I know you can do it!'

`Bah! Even if we pulled it off, and that's a big if, just how do you expect to keep it secret? What makes you think no-one will know who killed Kelnys?'

`We can get rid of the body. No evidence. The Magister's disappearance will eventually lead to him being declared dead, and then you can take over. This will even leave us time to gather supporters. You would be Magister, Adrian.'

`It will never work.'

`Magister Rand. Doesn't that sound good, Adrian? Think about it.'

He is dead serious about it. Does he have any idea what he's doing? What he's already done? No, he doesn't. He doesn't know, how could he?

No matter. What's done is done. They can't turn back any more. I alone can choose what to do now. I must look ahead, as I always do.

`Give me a few hours.' I tell him. `I must think. However, if I accept your offer, and that's a big if, you must be prepared to strike tomorrow.'

`Tomorrow?'

`You have no idea what you got yourselves into, and I have no time to explain it. If you want to do this, you have to move fast, before someone gets suspicious, and you uncover yourselves.'

`Neither of us will give anything away, Adrian, you needn't worry.'

`You may be sure of that, but I'm not. If you want my help, you'll do things my way. You'll follow my lead if you don't want to get yourself killed when we face the Magister.'

`Must you always belittle us, Adrian?!' asks Christine in anger, but Sed silences her swiftly.

`Enough, Christine. He's right.' he says. `We must do this Adrian's way. It's either this or nothing. You understand, don't you?'

`Well, if that's all you wanted, then get out of here and keep your mouths locked tight.' I tell them. `I'll find you in a few hours, Sed. Alright?'

He nods, and the four of them silently leave my room. As the door closes behind them, I sigh deeply, and grab the glass of water. I drink the rest of the water, and wipe my lips with the back of my hand. I grab my robe from the wardrobe and don it. It's time to see the Magister.

The magician's way

Mage Guild of Ashkel, present day (4 years, 7 months, and 11 days before Twilightfall)

As I leave my room and proceed walking on the corridor towards the stairs leading to the Magister's Quarters, I begin to consider my options. It is not a long way to the Magister's Quarters, and this is how much time I have to make up my mind.

The decision is not easy, though it may seem as such. I have to think this through well.

I have to hand it to Sed and his entourage of would-be revolutionaries, they know how to make a deal sound sweet. They came to me because they thought I'd be easy to talk into taking their lead. They think my ambition is larger than my brain. They think with the mind of an apprentice, while I think with the mind of an Inner Circle magician, as I must. Furthermore, they never understood why I'm here, what I desire from the Guild. Becoming Magister is something I never cared about. Understanding magic is what I desire, and I have all I need for that now. On the other hand...

On the other hand, if I was the Magister, things would be so much easier. For one I would have more time to spend in the library. I could pass all the menial chores on to the Inner Circle. It would also mean that I would be able to build up connections in Re'Cas quicker. That would certainly be helpful. Quite appealing, indeed...

And let's not forget that I am not unsympathetic towards Sed's goal of revolutionizing the Guild. He is correct that under different circumstances, I could have gotten where I am now much faster. I would certainly welcome a realistic opportunity to teach a lesson to the stuck-up parasites that run this Guild. Starting with Magister Kelnys.

Impulsive thoughts. Dangerous thoughts. Welcome thoughts... Thoughts I need to consider carefully.

After all, this opportunity is hardly realistic. Truly, if I were to attempt it, it would be a great test of my abilities, for I could not rely on help from these four fools against the Magister. It would be a battle to fight by myself, and why would I take this risk? Their cause is not mine, and I have certainly no reason to risk my own goals and what I've achieved just because they say I should. Or even because of the past. I don't look back. I look ahead. Always. This occasion should be no different.

However, if I look ahead and see myself as Magister, there is a bit of a temptation in it. Even as I don't desire it I cannot ignore the advantages it would bring. In light of that, getting even with the very foundations of this Guild will be just a welcome bonus over all that. Tempting, indeed. The leadership of this Guild would deserve nothing less than betrayal and a slap in the face.

Enough contemplating. It is time to choose. A few steps and I will reach the Magister's door. I must make up my mind.

Now...

The Magister

Mage Guild of Ashkel, Magister's Quarters, present day (4 years, 7 months, and 11 days before Twilightfall)

Magister Kelnys greets me as I enter his room, and I bow my head in respect. I open my lips to tell him why I came, but he abruptly cuts me off before I could even begin.

`Excellent timing, Adrian!' he says, sounding excited. `I was just thinking about you. Come, join me, let me show you something.'

I nod and walk towards him. He stands by the largest window of the room, staring outside. He runs his fingers through his gray hair and then waves towards the city below us. Much of Ashkel can be seen from up here. At this early afternoon hour several people walk the streets, though it hardly seems like a truly bustling city.

`I've been looking at our beautiful city and it somehow reminded me of the days of the distant past.' he tells me. `I don't really know why. It's so odd. Regardless, I've been thinking about that for hours. The past, I mean. Can you guess how far in the past, Adrian?'

`If you ask like that, then I guess well before your own birth, Magister. Perhaps the times of the Great War?'

`Indeed!' he says, smiling. `How clever of you to guess. Although I did give myself away, did I not?'

`A little.'

`I guess I'm thinking too much about it lately. However, I need to. Have I told you about the history book I'm writing?'

Only about two dozen times...

`The history of the Ess'yerian Alliance? Yes, you have.' I tell him, nodding.

`I am finished with the manuscript, but there is one more chapter I am working on, about the Great War itself. That is what the book should start with. The people need to remember it.'

`How could they forget?'

`I am sure they all remember its significance, but not the details. Tell me, Adrian, how much do you know about the Great War?' he asks me as he puts his hand in the pockets of his gold-adorned white robe.

`I've read the old history books. I know the fables. I know that a black magician won the war for us.'

He laughs.

`Ha ha! Yes, indeed! That is the most important part of it, no matter what anyone says. But do you know what else is important about it? That war changed the way the people of Delamar thought about wizards forever. And that is a good thing.'

`So, it is true what I heard about magic being frowned upon before the Great War?'

`To say the least.' he says, nodding. `Before the Great War, there were no Mage Guilds or anything similar. Mages were feared and loathed. They were outcasts. There were assassin guilds specialized in hunting mages, and fearful monarchs willing to hire them to hunt down mages in their territory. The people feared us and wanted us to disappear. Human mages were either in hiding, or in exile. Re'Cas was isolated, there was no Gatestown, so only the most powerful mages could escape there. Therefore, quite a few wizards went to the elves instead. They didn't have it too easy, of course. As you know, the elves look down on us for our supposedly inferior magical power. But at least they didn't kill our kind on the spot, so in a sense it was better.'

`All this is hard to imagine today.'

`Indeed. Fortunately, the Great War changed everything. Without the countless human mages who pretty much voluntarily took part in the war, we never would have survived, let alone won the war. To make matters even more intriguing, a black magician was instrumental in our victory. All this made the people realize that they needed mages to survive, should the dragons ever return. The nations of Ess'yer united and a single Council was formed to lead it all. Gatestown was built, Mage Guilds were founded, and slowly the people began to accept us. Although they do still fear us. Even those people down in the streets, as they walk so calmly towards whatever chore they must complete. They are used to our presence, but that doesn't mean they don't fear us. It is such a shame.'

`Quite so.' I tell him, and begin telling him why I came. `Magister, there are...'

`Yes, quite so indeed!' he says, cutting me off again. `I wish we could do something about that, but I fear we don't have such power. Not even Councilor Jenathar has that power. Or even Worriil. By the way, have you ever met Councilor Sewareld Worriil?'

`No. I haven't.'

`He was there. He took part in the Great War.'

`He did?'

`Yes. Those damned elves live long as it is, but elven wizards can live thousands of years. He was one of the most powerful elven mages of his time and played a key role in the victory of the Ess'yerian Alliance over the dragon army. It was very little surprise that he became Councilor.'

`Was it any surprise at all?'

`A little, yes. Most thought the elves would choose a wood elf, not a night elf like Worriil. You have heard of their dark past, I trust?'

`Of course.'

`Many wood elves still don't trust night elves. Despite that, Worriil became part of the Supreme Council when it was formed, and he's been Councilor ever since. The only constant part of an ever changing group of hypocrites.'

Well now, that was quite the insult. Then again, he makes no secret of it that he doesn't like the Council much. And who does?

And why can't this damned wrinkle-faced old coot stop blabbering for just one minute?!

`Magister, I have come for...' I tell him, but the damned old fool cuts me off again...

`A shame what became of the Council over the centuries, Adrian. I wish there was a way to make a change... But forgive me, I do ramble much. You came for something, did you not?'

Finally...

`Yes, Magister.' I tell him slowly. `There is a matter I wish to talk about.'

`Well, go on.'

`Four apprentices wish to have an audience with you. Tomorrow, if the time is appropriate for you.'

`I guess I can spare some time. What is this about?'

So here we are. The die is cast. No turning back...

Assassination

Mage Guild of Ashkel, Magister's Quarters, present day (4 years, 7 months, and 10 days before Twilightfall)

I step into the Quarters of Magister Kelnys as Sed and the others follow close behind me. The Magister stands beside the window wearing his gold-adorned white robe, just like yesterday. He seems calm, and lost in his thoughts.

`Magister...' I greet him, as the door closes behind us.

`Ah, it is time, I guess.' he says, as he turns towards us. He steps away from the window and approaches us. `Do forgive me, but I keep forgetting the names of our apprentices. There are so many of them. Could you introduce them, please?'

`Of course.' I tell him, and step aside. `This is Sed Oldale, the most experienced of the group. The others are Inghran Cros, Lev Cheolt, and Christine Tann.'

`What do they wish, Adrian?'

`A relatively simple matter, Magister. They...'

I abruptly stop and raise both my hands towards Sed and the others and begin casting the spell. Just a few short magic words and the magical energies at my disposal take the form of a powerful paralysis spell. A moment later, before they could even realize anything, the four of them stand immobile, unable to do anything.

The Magister waves a hand towards the group and utters a single word. A moment later a shimmering half-sphere appears around the group, a magical prison which will hold them in place for quite some time. I deactivate the paralysis spell and they can move once more. They glance around in shock and then turn towards me.

`What.. what is this?! Adrian, what are you doing?!' screams Sed.

`He is doing what all of you should have been doing!' says the Magister. `He is being loyal to the Guild! While you have all betrayed it! Or do you deny it?!'

`We did not betray the Guild!' says Sed to the Magister. `We came to help the Guild, to make it better! Those like you have ruined this Guild and we just want to rectify that.'

`That's right!' screams Lev. `This Guild is rotten to the core, and the ones defiling it must be purged! We just want the Guild to be fair, and that is no treason!'

`Bah! Who are you to judge what is best for the Guild?!' says the Magister with considerable anger in his voice. `You are just apprentices, you know nothing!'

`We are still apprentices, thanks to you and the likes of you that control this Guild!' says Inghran.

`You have not earned the right to be called magicians!' replies the Magister. `Just what kind of fools are you? Did you really think you could kill me?!'

Sed turns towards me and replies slowly to the Magister, while looking directly at me.

`Perhaps we were fools indeed. We would have prevailed if we hadn't been stabbed in the back by our own friend...'

`Petty excuse, apprentice!' says the Magister. `Your actions prove that you are not worthy! Worse yet, your actions are a major criminal offense! I am afraid I have no choice... I must notify the Supreme Guard and Councilor Jenathar of this shameful act of treason. They will decide your fate.'

Christine, who has been strangely silent until now, suddenly bursts out in anger and addresses the Magister.

`You would put the fate of your own apprentices in the hands of the Enforcers?! You bastard! You ruthless bastard!'

`Silence!' screams the Magister. `You have committed treason against the Guild, you will be punished accordingly. Now, Adrian, would you please keep an eye on them while I take care of this?'

`Of course, Magister.' I tell him, nodding.

`Thank you. I will return soon. It won't take very long.'

Proper course of action

Mage Guild of Ashkel, Magister's Quarters, present day (4 years, 7 months, and 10 days before Twilightfall)

The Magister departs to summon the Enforcers, and I am left behind with Sed and the others. I turn towards them to meet their gaze. They stand in their magical prison with hatred in their eyes. There is not only hatred, there is something else. There is fear. How could there not be? They know well what will happen to them.

`What the Hell are you doing, Adrian?!' Sed addresses me. `You betrayed us! Why?!'

I look at him in silence as he tries to decipher the expression in my eyes, on my face. No doubt he is wondering about my motivation, as are the others. I could explain it to them, but they wouldn't understand. They're not informed enough.

`I told the Magister what you were planning because this was the proper course of action.' I tell them. `Whether you can understand that or not, this was the proper course of action. It's a simple matter, there's nothing to discuss about it.'

`That's it?! That's all you have to say? You damned traitor! We trusted you!'

`Betrayal is relative in this matter. Did I betray your trust? Yes. Did I betray the Guild? No. You on the other hand...'

`Don't you dare bring that up, Adrian! I know you well, I know you don't give a damn about the Guild. Pretend all you want to your superiors but don't give me that bullshit! Just tell me why! Why did you do this?'

`I told you, it was the proper...'

`Oh, shut up with that! I want your real reason, damn you! Why did you sell us out? What do you possibly stand to gain you greedy bastard? Had you stood by us, you could have been Magister. I know that's your desire! Why did you do this?'

`You are inexperienced and foolish, you will never understand what this is all about. Ultimately, it is largely about loyalty. I chose to remain loyal to the Guild. That's all that matters.'

`Liar! I know the Magister bought you with something! I want to know what that is!'

`You don't know how this Guild functions. I do. Your attempt to assassinate the Magister was doomed to fail from the beginning. Did you really think he wouldn't know?'

`If you hadn't told him, he...'

`If I hadn't told him, someone else would have. That's a simple fact that you cannot understand.'

He opens his lips to say something in response, but then he just turns away while the others stare at the ground. They know what is coming for them, and they have accepted their fate.

Suddenly Sed turns back towards me and advances to the barrier. He forcefully punches it, and then attempts to break through it with magic. Useless, of course. Indeed, nothing happens. He tries again, but nothing happens.

`Damn you, Adrian! Let us out!' he screams at me in anger. `It's not too late for you to change sides. The Magister will not expect this when he returns, we can take him by surprise.'

I frown at him.

`Your desperation and your fear cloud your judgment. Use your brain and you will soon realize the foolishness of your suggestion.'

He punches the barrier in anger once more, but then the anger slowly dissipates from him. He looks at me with resignation in his eyes.

`You know they're going to kill us, don't you?'

`Yes.'

`That's your reaction? A simple yes?'

`What would you have me say? I can't stop them. You can't stop them. It's inevitable.'

`You don't even care, do you?' he asks slowly.

`I do care. Your deaths will be a terrible waste of talent. I wish this could have been avoided, but the path you chose lead to this end inevitably, whether I like it or not. Whether any of us likes it or not. Hence the best course of action for me now is to look ahead, not to dwell on the past and the mistake you made that lead us to this present.'

`You make me sick, Adrian...'

`That is a pity. In your situation, however, it is a normal reaction. I do not blame you for it.'

`Damn you, Adrian! Our blood will stain your hands, too! Not just theirs!'

`Your blood will stain your hands only. It was your decision to attempt this. You should have known better.'

`You're right about one thing. We should have known you better... We shouldn't have trusted you.'

`It wouldn't have mattered...' I tell him. I do not bother to explain. There is no point. Being a part of the Inner Circle brings one understanding of how the Guild functions. They do not have this understanding, and I do not have the time to explain it to them. They do not have the time, either. From the voices I hear coming in from outside, it sounds like the Enforcers are here. Soon, the execution will begin...

Epilogue

Loyalty

Mage Guild of Ashkel, Magister's Quarters, present day (4 years, 7 months, and 10 days before Twilightfall)

It's over. Eric Shyrn and the Enforcers have departed. The would-be assassins, my former friends, are dead. Shyrn wasted little time, he announced the sentence minutes after his arrival. Sed took it well, he knew well what he bargained for. He looked determined, and didn't cringe. Lev on the other hand looked terrified. Unlike Sed, he was afraid of death. Inghran held Christine's hand tight and both of them looked towards me instead of Shyrn, with hatred in their eyes. After the sentence was announced, the Magister used his magic to strike down the four young mages in his magical cage, then removed the cage so the execution may begin.

Shyrn didn't come alone. Four Enforcers accompanied him, all dressed in the uniform of the Enforcers, or as it is officially called, the Supreme Guard. Shyrn himself didn't wear their uniform, despite being their Commander; instead, he was dressed in mostly black, wearing a tunic bearing his family insignia, a silver colored fist. It fits to the pale faced night elf well, actually. I had never seen him before, but heard of him well. By his appearance, he's just a typical night elf. Pale skin, black hair, and ambition befitting a Demon Lord... but he is far more than that. He commands the Enforcers, and that makes him a very powerful and dangerous man.

He didn't bother to get his hands dirty. He sent his men, swords drawn, to perform the executions. The four Enforcers beheaded the four mages almost simultaneously. I watched. I watched the inevitable take place in silence. Then I watched the beheaded, lifeless corpses. I watched them even as the Magister and the night elf Eric Shyrn argued about what is to be done with the corpses. Knowing Shyrn's reputation, I'd have expected he'd want to have the heads of the dead assailants nailed on the front gate of the Guild tower. But no. He had orders to keep the incident discreet, it would seem.

`In the name of Councilor Worriil, this incident is not to be made public.' he told the Magister. The Magister just nodded.

`If that is the will of Councilor Jenathar...'

`Jenathar?' Shyrn asked with a frown. `Yes. For once, he and Worriil were in agreement. Not that it matters.'

`It does matter.' replied the Magister. `You must understand, Commander Shyrn, we serve the Councilor Jenathar, not Worriil.'

`I and I alone command the Supreme Guard. I do not take orders from Jenathar. You should be glad that Worriil has ordered me to deal with this situation discretely. Otherwise, I'd be more than happy to make it all public and bring you and your Guild to shame for your inability to keep your underlings on a tight leash. Consider yourself warned, Magister. Should this happen again, your status as Magister would be in serious jeopardy...'

With those words of warning, he left with his men. The Magister looked to me and said:

`He spoke like a faithful dog, did he not, Adrian? Well, I know a faithful dog when I see one, and that was no faithful dog. He spoke like he was so loyal to Worriil but it's only a matter of time and he will not be satisfied with being Worriil's lapdog. No, he will want more. Perhaps he already does. Mark my words Adrian, the time will come that Eric Shyrn will turn on his master. When he does, may the Lords Beyond have mercy on his soul...'

The Lords Beyond... Still I wonder why he of all people would bring them up. Superstitious fools gave this name to the Elemental Princes ages ago, in the time when people thought gods existed and that gods created the world. I don't know why anyone would keep mentioning the Elemental Princes as if they had a say in the happenings in Arghard, let alone the Magister. He knows well enough that they couldn't care less about what happens in our world. I guess it's just a figure of speech, something that's become an integral part of our language over the ages, such that not even the Magister can let it go. I wonder if I will ever find myself speaking as such in the future, and if I will take notice. Time will tell, I guess.

Regardless, the Magister wasted little time after his mocking comment of Shyrn. He promptly made sure to get rid of the evidence of what had happened here today by using his magic to set the corpses on fire. I watched the flames in silence, until they went out, and there was nothing left but dust. Now, we are alone. The Magister and me. He turns to me. He addresses me.

`Adrian...'

`Yes, Magister?'

`You were... quite silent when Commander Shyrn announced the sentence.'

`What would I have said, Magister?'

`Were they not your friends? You could have said something in their defense.'

`They were my friends. They were also traitors to the Guild. I had nothing to say.'

He smiles. Just as I thought he would. Then he looks away. He walks to the window and looks outside.

`You know, Adrian, today is a sad day for our Guild. It is a tragic loss of life, and a tragic loss of talent. These four would have made excellent additions to the Inner Circle over time.'

`Yes. They would have.'

`It's a real shame, but there is good in all of this.' he says, as he turns towards me. `For thanks to this ordeal, I have learned that I can unconditionally trust at least one member of the Inner Circle. I must say, Adrian, I am most proud of you!'

`I simply did what was best for the Guild, Magister.'

`Of course. And your loyalty will not go without reward, I assure you. Although in principle the members of the Inner Circle are all equal, in practice the ones favored by the Magister have always had additional privileges. You shall from now on share these privileges, Adrian.'

`Thank you, Magister.'

`You may leave now. Do not speak to anyone about what happened today. I will think up a plausible story to explain the disappearance of these four young mages.'

`As you wish, Magister.' I tell him. I nod to him, and leave his quarters.

As the door shuts behind me I proceed to walk towards the stairs. I do not smile. I'd have every reason to. After all, everything happened as I thought it would. He was pleased with my loyalty as he called it. I knew he would be. And he rewarded me. As I knew he would. All this should please me, and it does. Yes, it truly pleases me. Yet I do not smile.

I can't help but think back to them. The four that died today. Indeed, it is a shame they died. A terrible waste of talent. They would have made great magicians in time. I did not lie when I said this to them. Nor did I lie when I told them that I was not instrumental in their deaths. They said, their blood would stain my hands. That is incorrect. They have only themselves to blame for what happened. Had I not told the Magister, he'd have known just the same. Had they not involved me in their scheme, they'd have died just the same.

Of course, they had no choice but to involve me. They needed me. They needed someone of my experience and power to defeat the Magister. That's why they came to me and tried to bait me into helping them with their implausible promise of me becoming Magister. How foolish they were in their desperation. As the saying goes, desperation is rarely a source of sound advice.

It all boils down to one thing. A simple choice. A decision. A decision they had made. A wrong decision.

They didn't die because I betrayed them. They died because they chose the wrong course of action. Whereas I chose the proper course of action. And why?

Because I don't dwell on the past. I don't look back. I look ahead.

Always.

The Viper

I was dizzy but out of reflex I drew my sword and spun around to face my attacker. I expected it was one of the guards, but it was someone else. At the time all I saw was a man dressed in black garments. Before I could examine him any better I saw the blade of his weapon coming towards me. I tried to block it but failed, and the blade cut deep into my forehead.

I cried out in pain and stumbled away from my attacker. I held my sword out in defense and examined him better. He was dressed all in black and wore a hooded cloak. The hood was off, but I couldn't see his face, only his black hair and his eyes. He had the rest of his face covered by a black scarf. Only his eyes were visible. His eyes... Those icy, cold, ruthless blue eyes... - Ryan Allen, 3 years, 2 months, and 26 days before Twilightfall

Prologue

Conversation by the table

Ashkel, present day (3 years, 2 months, and 2 days before Twilightfall)

`Put your hand on the table.'

He shakes his head in denial of my command and looks at me with fear in his eyes. I push the blade of his dagger closer to the skin of his neck.

`I said... put your hand... on the table!'

He swallows hard and slowly nods. He reaches his hand towards the table and slowly places his palm on it. I nod, and swiftly stab the dagger right into the back of his hand.

He cries out in pain as his own dagger nails his hand to the table. Swiftly I grab the other dagger I took from him and press it against his neck. Slowly he settles down, although he is quite clearly in great pain.

`Now, put your other hand on the table.'

He shakes his head upon hearing this.

`No... Please... Don't...' he pleads.

`Do it.' I tell him, pushing the blade closer to his neck. He bites his lips and closes his eyes as he finally obeys me and places his other hand on the table as well. I stab the dagger in his shaking hand, pinning it to the table.

Once again he screams. He is in great pain, but that is of course to be expected.

I take my own dagger from my belt and sit down by the table, facing him. I look at the man in the chair, now nailed firmly to the table between us. A shady looking figure, though clean shaven. His dark leather armor outfit is typical amongst the Cabal. I know well who he is. I made sure not to grab the wrong man.

He is scared. He looks at me with pleading eyes, and visible pain on his face. Slowly I place my dagger in the middle of the table and begin to talk.

`Now... you and I are going to talk. You are going to tell me everything I want to know. Or you will die. Do you understand?'

He nods quickly.

`Good. I am looking for someone. You know who he is. More importantly, you know where he is. And you will tell me... Right now!'

Legal mercenary

Ashkel, a few weeks ago (3 years, 2 months, and 27 days before Twilightfall)

Quite a picture we have here, don't we? A respected member of the Fighter's Guild of Ashkel, disregarding every law that the Guild is supposed to uphold, torturing a man for information. How could things have ever gone this far? I wish I knew. A joke of fate, perhaps. A sick joke. A very sick joke...

And I know you don't like it. Yes, I can feel that you don't like what I'm doing.

What? Did you think I didn't know you were there?

Well, you're wrong. I know you're there. Watching. Observing. I know you disagree.

And I don't care. You can't stop me after all. Besides, you don't even know me, you can't judge me.

Well...

Perhaps we should change that. Perhaps I should make you see this whole thing in a different way. Yes...

I will tell you. I will tell you all about it. About the things that brought me this far. Then you will know me. You will understand me. You will no longer judge me. You still won't like what I'm doing though. But that is irrelevant. You cannot stop me.

I guess I should start with who I am, shouldn't I? Very well. My name is Ryan Allen, and I am what many people call a legal mercenary. Or at least I was, but... I shouldn't get ahead of myself, I'll get to that part later. First let me explain what I mean.

First of all, the term itself is inaccurate. Being a mercenary is not illegal after all. However, mercenaries work for themselves and roam the land. They have no allegiance to anyone and will work for anyone. For the right price, many of them will do assassin work. For a mercenary, there are no laws that would bind them. That is why members of the Fighter's Guild are referred to as legal mercenaries. Because laws do bind what they do. There is a Guild Charter they must uphold, and furthermore, they are pretty much the militia of Ashkel. They uphold the law in the city.

So, that's why they're called legal. Now, why are they called mercenaries? Well, because that's what they are. The Guild basically operates as a mercenary company with higher standards and supposedly higher morals than your average mercenaries. They hire out their members, letting them do any work that does not violate the Guild Charter. Anything, and I do mean, anything. Guarding some rich sod, hunting down wolves and scavengers for nearby farmers, guarding a mine against bandits, hunting bandits, and so on. Of course, there's also the patrol duty. While there are city guards paid by the Mayor of Ashkel, they are fairly useless. The rich folk hired the Guild long ago to have patrols roam throughout the city to make it safer. Of course, not all parts of the city are equally well patrolled. The slums got the short end of the stick in this respect. Then again, that is to be expected.

Anyway, the point is the Guild does all these things for good money. That money needs to be governed, and...

But I'm getting ahead of myself again. I mentioned I was with the Guild. Well, I'm not with them any more, but that part I'll get to much later. For now I should tell you what the Guild meant to me while I was among their numbers. Well, that's simple. The Guild was everything to me. Well, not really everything, but almost everything. For much of my life I lived for the thrill of battle. I grew up on tales about knights in shining armor and their heroic deeds, and I joined the Guild because I wanted to be like that. I took great pleasure in the thrill of battle. It didn't matter to me whether it was bandits or scavengers. All that mattered was feeling the blood pump through my veins, to feel it burn inside...

Yes. I enjoyed it.

And then I got married.

But it wasn't a bad thing. She was the love of my life, my beautiful Katherine. I'd known her for many years before we came to be lovers. I always adored her, even before I knew what love was and what it was all about. We spent many nights together during my early years in the Guild, and she always expressed her worry whenever I left the city on some assignment or another. When I married her, she made me promise to try and take it easier, to take less dangerous assignments. She was very worried about me.

Yet she knew there was nothing she could do, that I would pursue this kind of life forever. She even understood that these assignments are good for us both: they paid well. Very well. A year passed like this and she became even more worried that one day I might not return home. So one night she told me she would run for the seat of Guild Treasurer.

Guild Treasurer... As I mentioned, the Guild was basically a mercenary company, and there was a lot of coin flowing into the treasury of the Guild from all the assignments. Someone had to manage that. The incoming money, as well as all the expenses. The equipment, the food, the servants who cleaned up the Guildmaster's office, everything. The one who managed all of this was called the Treasurer. A respected position. A very well paid position.

Katherine was good with numbers. She thought, she could do this job. She also had a very good memory. She was well known and well liked in the Guild. So one day she told me she would run for this position. She told me she wanted to do this for the two of us, because if she were to get the job, she could provide for us both from her salary.

I agreed to it. That was a mistake, but honestly, there was no other thing to do. She'd have been very upset if I had refused to support her in this. It could have poisoned our marriage for all I know. It doesn't matter now...

So anyway, a few weeks ago I came back home after a few days outside of Ashkel, from an assignment involving hunting down some bandits that had been harassing the workers of a nearby farm. Katherine wasn't at home, so I made myself comfortable, and waited for her.

Finally she came home. She was dressed in a beautiful green dress and had her lovely long brown hair braided. In other words, she was dressed like she had an important meeting, possibly with the Guildmaster. She was charming, and she looked happy.

She rushed into the room and threw herself into my arms, and kissed my cheeks.

`There you are!' she said. `I thought you'd come home sooner!'

`I got home before you did today...' I told her jokingly. She shook her head in disapproval, but still, she smiled.

`I spoke to Guildmaster Arlon.' she said happily. `Guess what he said!'

`You got the job?' I asked, surprised. She laughed and shook her head.

`Not yet... but... he said I have the best of chances!'

`Really?'

`Well, you know, it's not his decision alone, his advisors will each cast a vote and all that, but he said I have his support!'

`He did? That's great!' I told her. She was so happy, and I was glad for her happiness. Although indeed, Arlon's support was not enough. There was a group of high ranking people in the Guild called advisors who decided things like who would be Treasurer, and while the Guildmaster's opinion carried weight, it has happened more than once that the majority voted against him. This was rare however, and Katherine was very well liked in the Guild.

`Now let's see how many of his advisors dare speak against him...' she said, sounding confident.

`Treasurer Katherine Allen... I like the sound of that!'

`That would be great, Ryan! But it's not decided yet, so let's not start celebrating just yet...'

`Don't you want to celebrate that I once again return home unscathed?' I asked, smiling at her. She playfully slapped my cheek in response. She knew what I meant, and she desired the same thing.

`I'll have you know that I'm a married woman. A very loyal one at that...'

`So I would hope...' I told her, smiling. She kissed me and then motioned towards the bedroom.

`Let's celebrate then, my hero! But do let me sleep, I will have a big day tomorrow.'

`As you command, Lady Treasurer!' I told her. She smiled, wider than I ever saw her smile.

Her face, the way she smiled that day, will forever be burnt in my mind. For all eternity...

But I have spoken enough already. You may already see where this is going, so I shall return to my gruesome task if you don't mind. Well, actually, even if you do mind. Besides... I know you will keep observing me. I'm sure you can wait a little while. It won't take long...

Blood on the dagger

Ashkel, present day (3 years, 2 months, and 2 days before Twilightfall)

`I don't know who you mean...' he tells me as he glances at his bleeding hands pinned to the table.

`Yes you do.' I tell him. `Three weeks ago there was a murder in Ashkel. I seek the murderer.'

`People die daily in Ashkel... I don't know who...'

`The man I'm looking for is about my height. He has black hair, blue eyes, and likes to use a black scarf to cover his face. He talks like a learned man, not like a thug that grew up in the streets.'

`I don't know anyone like that...'

`Yes you do.' I tell him as I pick up my dagger from the table. `He works for you. For the Cabal.'

`I don't know what you're talking about! I am not even with the Cabal! I swear!'

I stand up and slowly walk close to him. He looks up at me with scared eyes.

`You are wasting your time denying it.' I tell him. `I told you, you will tell me what I want to know or you will die. That does not mean your death will be swift, or merciful for that matter.'

`Please... You got the wrong guy... I'm just an ordinary commoner...'

I grab him by the hair and place the dagger's blade firmly on his neck.

`You are no more a commoner than I am a Supreme Councilor...' I tell him. `Now answer me! Three weeks ago a murder was committed, a prestigious member of the Fighter's Guild was assassinated. The killer was a black haired blue eyed man with the voice of a learned man. One of your assassins! I want to know who he is, and where he is! Right... now...'

`Please, I swear I don't know what you're talking about!' he screams in fear. I release his hair and pull the dagger away. I grab his right hand and place the blade of my dagger right over his little finger.

`One last time! Who is he?! Where is he?!'

`I don't know, I...'

I cut with the dagger and a moment later his little finger is severed from his hand. He cries out in pain. I let him go and step away. I watch him as he trembles and screams. A few minutes pass, and he settles down and looks at me, his eyes begging me to let him go. I point to his hands with the dagger.

`You only have nine fingers left. Do you really insist on defying me? Just tell me what I want to know.'

`Please, I know nothing, I...'

`You only have eight fingers now.' I tell him. He screams in fear as I step close and raise the dagger high.

A day in darkness

Ashkel, a few weeks ago (3 years, 2 months, and 26 days before Twilightfall)

Well, I'm sure you like me even less now. Don't think for a split second that I won't strike with that dagger. I will. But before that, let me tell you a little more about the past. The events that lead me here.

As I told you, my wife was very happy when the Guildmaster assured her of his support. We spent a happy night together after that. She left early the next day. She didn't wake me, she knew I was not expected back at the Guild Hall until noon. So I slept long. I woke rested, and felt relieved. I felt like it was the start of a great day.

Five hours later I was standing in the morgue over her lifeless body. I no longer felt so good...

Am I getting ahead of myself again?

No. I don't think so. You would love to hear what happened in those five hours, I'm sure. Hear at length about how I was told that she was found dead late morning in the alley right next to the Guild Hall. Hear how I defied every word of what was told me. Hear what it felt like for me to see her in the morgue. Hear how I asked to be left alone so I could cry over her lifeless body in solitude...

But I will not tell you any of that. I don't want to. Why don't you just use your imagination? Why don't you just imagine that the one person you love the most is lying dead on a table, with glassy eyes, a blackened tongue, and a large bleeding wound on the belly?

What? Am I being too cruel to you, forcing such images into your mind? Maybe I am, but let's face it, this will make you understand what I felt that day.

If you think it was easy for me just because I was a legal mercenary, think again. Yes I was used to death, seen it a lot. And yes, if you see enough death, it's easy to become detached when it's people you never knew. Even if it's a comrade it's easy to deal with it: warriors know well that any day can be their last, and that makes death that much more acceptable. But to see your wife like that, a woman who was meant to die of old age and not by a poisoned dagger... That's not something you get over easy.

If you must know, I stood over her body for over an hour, crying like a baby. Not wanting to believe what happened, not being able to understand how it happened. When I was finally able to come to terms with the reality of it, I was just overwhelmed with one question: why?

So I said my final goodbye to her, and left the morgue. Mark was waiting for me. He was the man who brought me the news earlier that day. A good friend, someone I'd known from the Guild for many years. He looked sad, and looked like he knew exactly what I was going through. Did he? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Doesn't matter. He consoled me in my time of grief, like a good friend should.

But I was not looking for consolation. I wanted justice...

`Mark, I need to talk to you.' I told him. `Alone.'

He nodded.

`Alright, let's go to my place.'

We went to his quarters in the Guild Hall. All the members of the Guild are entitled to their own personal quarters. Some preferred to have a house of their own in the city, especially the married men like me, but most took advantage of this opportunity.

Mark offered me a drink, but I refused. I needed to stay sober.

`Mark, listen to me...' I told him. `Did you... did you examine... Katherine's body?'

He nodded.

`Yeah. Horrible. I just can't believe it... I mean... Why would someone cut her liver out like that?'

Ah, yes. Did you pay attention when I said that she had a large bleeding wound on her belly? Well, the killer cut her belly open, removed her liver, and left it right next to her body. That's not the part I was interested in however.

`Mark, did you see her tongue?'

`Her tongue? I... I don't remember...'

`Black. All black. As if...'

`Poison?' he asked. I nodded.

`Seems that way. Certain poisons cause the tongue to blacken. I've seen it many times on victims of the Cabal.'

Ah, yes. The Cabal. I should tell you about them. But not now. There is plenty of time for that. For now let me finish telling you about my conversation with Mark.

`Don't jump to conclusions, Ryan... Do you think she was assassinated?'

`Did you see the wound on her back?'

`Yes.'

`A dagger wound, right between two ribs and into the right lung.'

`I... I see... I didn't pay much attention, but now that you mention it... Yes, it was a small stab wound...'

`The killer grabbed her from behind and delivered a single stab with a poisoned dagger. It's the work of an assassin. It's obvious.'

`But the liver...'

`What about it?'

`I don't get it, Ryan. Why would an assassin bother to do something like that? To cut out the liver of a victim? I have never heard of such a thing...'

`It's a signature. A bloody signature...'

`What?'

`Similar things happened in Ashkel some years ago. To commoners, and a few richer people. The killer cut out a piece of them each time. It was done so everyone would know who did it.'

`Do you think this might be the same killer?'

`I do not know. From what I heard the Guild never investigated enough to find out anything, not even the killer's name. When the murders stopped I guess they assumed the killer was dead. Is this the same guy? Is it someone else? I don't know, but I'm going to find out...'

`Find out? How?'

`Just think! An assassin killed her. Why? Who could possibly want her out of the way?'

`I don't know. She was very popular. Everybody liked her.'

`There's at least three people who didn't.'

`What do you mean?'

`I mean her three rivals in the race for the seat of Treasurer!'

Mark shook his head in denial of my suggestion and opened his lips to say something. In the end, he didn't. Instead he started rubbing his chin, looking at the wall. He shook his head again, but then he started talking.

`Ryan... It's absurd to even assume such a thing, but... How much do you know about her opponents?'

`Nothing. Only that there are three of them, and that yesterday Arlon assured Katherine of his support. Which means, those three would have had ample reason to have her killed.'

`Not all three, Ryan. Just one.'

`What?'

`She only had one real rival, Ryan. Didn't you know?'

`What are you talking about?'

`For many weeks now, only two of the four candidates were given any real consideration. If you lived in the Guild Hall you would know this, too. We get to hear things around here...'

`What are you saying?'

`There are four candidates. Your wife, Gareth Bayle, and two others. However, only Bayle and your wife had any real support within the Guild. It's absurd to even assume what you were suggesting, but... but the truth is, with Katherine's death, Bayle is almost certain to become Treasurer now...'

When I understood what he was saying, I just asked him one last question. Can you guess what that was? I'm sure you can. If not, I'll just leave you to think about it for a while. I do have something to do. But really... It's not so hard to guess...

Initials

Ashkel, present day (3 years, 2 months, and 2 days before Twilightfall)

I strike with the dagger and sever his ring finger from his right hand. He screams, a mixture of pain and fear in his voice. He is defiant. No matter. He will break. They all do. In time.

`Please...' he begs me after a minute of loud screaming. `I don't know anything...'

I grit my teeth and place the dagger's blade over his next finger.

`One more time! Male, black hair, blue eyes! Black scarf over his face! Speaks like a learned man! Killed a respected bureaucrat of the Fighter's Guild three weeks ago! Who is he?! Where is he?!'

`I don't know! I swear, I don't know!'

`Yes you do!' I tell him, as I cut into the flesh of his middle finger. As the blade reaches the bone, I stop. I pull the blade back and step away. I sigh deeply, while he cries out in relief. I turn back to him.

`You are just not listening to what I'm saying, are you?'

`Please... I know nothing... I'm just a commoner...'

`The Hell are you a commoner! I know you and your friends very well! I've stalked you for days, followed your every move! Did you really think I'd make a mistake about this? Did you?!'

`Please, I...'

`Do you know who I am?'

He shakes his head while still staring at me in fear.

`The name's Ryan Allen. Are the initials familiar?'

His eyes go wide as the recognition sweeps through his mind. I nod, satisfied that he gave himself away.

`Yes. You can no longer deny your allegiance. You know what I've done to your friends. You've seen it. Or at least heard of it.'

`Okay... okay... I am with the Cabal... I admit it...' he says.

`There, you see? It's that simple. Now go on. Tell me. Who is he? Where is he?'

`I don't know... Listen, this guy, he doesn't work for us. I swear... We didn't order that murder...'

I shake my head and step closer to him.

`You are not listening to me. You are really not listening...'

`Please... I swear I don't know...'

`If you are not listening, you have no need for your ears at all...' I tell him, as I grab his right ear and proceed to cut into it with my dagger.

`No... No! Please! No!' he screams as the blade slowly cuts through his ear. He screams on all the way, even when his ear comes loose. I throw the severed ear on the table next to his two severed fingers. He cries out loud as he sees it, and his eyes go wide.

`You're out of your mind, man!' he screams. `I told you, I know nothing. That blue eyed bastard ain't one of us! Let me go! Let me go, damn you! Let me go!'

For a minute I just stand in front of him, silently looking him in the eye, while his blood slowly drips to the ground from the blade of the dagger in my hand. I wait. Wait for him to come to his senses. To talk.

For a moment, I contemplate what to do. Should I reconsider? Could it be he really doesn't know? Just like the others?

It doesn't matter. He is Cabal. Even if he speaks the truth, no-one will mourn him. Just like the others...

I must carry on. I step closer and raise the dagger.

Bayle's heart

Ashkel, a few weeks ago (3 years, 2 months, and 26 days before Twilightfall)

Gruesome, isn't it? I can tell that you don't like what I just did. But it doesn't matter. There's purpose to what I'm doing, purpose which may already be obvious to you. Even if you can't agree with my course of action, you must understand my motivation by now, at least in part. Now, tell me, did you guess what I asked from Mark at the end of our conversation? I asked just one simple question.

`Where does Gareth Bayle live?'

Mark was very reluctant to answer. He thought I'd do something stupid. Like going there and killing Bayle without evidence, things like that. My intentions were a little different however. A little less direct. I just wanted to question him. Once I assured Mark of this, he told me where to go. So in the evening of that day, I found myself standing in front of the impressive house of one Gareth Bayle.

Bayle was a rich man. For him, becoming Treasurer was most likely about pride. About achieving something, about doing something prestigious. With all his money, no wonder he had great support. He had the means to bribe people. Of course, not everyone would take bribes. However, with all his money, paying an assassin isn't such a big deal, either.

His house was impressive, well decorated, and guarded as well. Two guards were standing in front of his house. Men from the Guild. Men I knew vaguely. That was my luck.

I went and talked to them. They recognized me, and greeted me. I told them I would like to speak with Bayle privately about an important matter. They let me into the house, told me Bayle would probably be upstairs.

So I entered the house with their approval. There was a large living room downstairs with chairs and a table. I grabbed one of the chairs and silently leaned it against the door under the knob, then I went upstairs. I knocked on the first door I saw but there was no response. I knocked on the next one and I heard an annoyed response.

`Yes, come in!'

I opened the door and entered. It was a work room of sorts, there was a massive wooden desk in the far end of it. Gareth Bayle was sitting by that table. He had the appearance of a respectable man. He looked surprised, but not angry.

`Who are you?' he asked.

`You do not know me, sir. I was sent by the Guild. Are you Gareth Bayle?' I asked.

`Yes, that's right. What can I do for you?'

`My name is Ryan Allen.'

He blinked when he heard my name, and then slowly stood up.

`You are Katherine's husband, aren't you?'

`Yes.' I said as I advanced towards him.

`I... I have heard of what happened... I am truly sorry for your loss.'

`Yes. I'm sure you are.' I told him, when I was already on the opposite side of his desk.

`What... what is it you wish of me?'

I looked at him for a while, not really knowing how I wanted to begin. In time I gave in to my emotions. I reached over the desk and grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt. Before he could object, I pulled him towards me over the desk, and then forcefully dropped him on his back onto the desk.

`I want you to tell me why! Why did you have her killed?! Why?!' I screamed at him.

`Wh... what? I don't...' he started, but then I punched him in the gut. He groaned in pain. Then I punched him in the face and grabbed his sleeve again.

`Don't lie to me! She was killed by an assassin! She was killed with a poisoned blade. No-one in this city had anything to gain from her death but you! Everything is so obvious! It was you!'

He started to panic, I could see that in his eyes.

`Guar...'

He tried to cry out to the guards but I punched him in the gut again and then grabbed his throat.

`They will not help you! Now answer me!'

`Please... I had nothing to do with it...'

`Don't lie to me you bastard! I know it was you! Justice will be served for what you've done!'

`Please, I swear...'

While grasping his neck with my left hand, I punched him with my right.

`Admit it you son of a bitch! Admit it!'

`Please, Ryan, I had nothing...'

I punched him again.

`You had my wife killed! But I swear you will not reap any reward from her death...'

`I didn't do it... I swear...'

I punched him again. Then I picked up a paperweight from his desk.

`I won't let you get away with it!'

`No, please... I'm not...'

I struck with the paperweight, hit him in the nose with it. Then I hit him again, and could hear his nose crack. Blood was spilled on the paperweight.

I raised the paperweight high to strike again. That's when something hit me on the back of the head.

I dropped the paperweight and stumbled away from the desk.

I was dizzy but out of reflex I drew my sword and spun around to face my attacker. I expected it was one of the guards, but it was someone else. At the time all I saw was a man dressed in black garments. Before I could examine him any better I saw the blade of his weapon coming towards me. I tried to block it but failed, and the blade cut deep into my forehead.

I cried out in pain and stumbled away from my attacker. I held my sword out in defense and examined him better. He was dressed all in black and wore a hooded cloak. The hood was off, but I couldn't see his face, only his black hair and his eyes. He had the rest of his face covered by a black scarf. Only his eyes were visible. His eyes... Those icy, cold, ruthless blue eyes...

Suddenly I felt myself getting weak and I felt I couldn't hold my weapon any longer. I dropped it and fell on my knees, and eventually collapsed to the ground. The blue eyed man then turned towards the desk. Gareth Bayle was just standing up from it, holding his bleeding nose.

`Thank you...' he said to the man in black. `He was going to kill... me...'

He slowed down as he realized he was not talking to one of his guards. He seemed like he would say something more but the blue eyed man lunged at him and grabbed him by the hair, then stabbed the dagger into Bayle's chest on the right side. Bayle's eyes went wide and he started coughing.

`Oh, what's the matter?' said the blue eyed man through the scarf covering his face. `Didn't you expect to see me again?'

Bayle was struggling to speak but all he could do was cough. Finally his body went numb and the blue eyed man let him fall to the ground. Then he turned to me.

I couldn't move. I slowly realized that there was poison on his dagger, poison that had paralyzed me. He observed me for a while with narrowed eyes but then he turned back to the fallen Bayle. I couldn't tell if Bayle was still alive, but the attacker acted as such. He knelt beside Bayle and started talking.

`Now you know it, Gareth. Nobody doublecrosses me. Absolutely nobody! Do you hear me? I did your dirty work. I killed the woman for you. You should have just paid me...'

He sheathed his dagger and pulled out a six sided gambling dice from his pocket. He showed it to Bayle.

`I intentionally didn't use lethal poison on you, Gareth. Do you know why? Because I want you to suffer. You will live to see me take a piece out of you. This will serve as a warning to anyone who would think to doublecross me and send thugs to kill me instead of just paying me. Now let's roll the dice, shall we?'

He then tossed the dice into the air and let it fall on the ground.

`Five?!' he said as the dice landed, sounding disappointed. Then he sighed.

He picked up the dice and put it in his pocket, then drew his dagger.

`Rules are rules, Gareth. I have to cut your heart out. Well, at least it wasn't a six. You wouldn't like that...'

Bayle was just as paralyzed as I was, he couldn't even speak. He didn't scream when the blue eyed man sunk his dagger in his chest and started cutting. He worked on it for a while, but eventually he produced a handful of bleeding flesh from the wound and neatly placed it next to Bayle's body on the ground.

`There...' he said, and then he wiped his gloved hands and his dagger clean with Bayle's shirt and sheathed his dagger. He stood up and looked towards me.

There seemed to be interest in his icy blue eyes. He stood there for a minute thinking what to do, and then he came to me and knelt beside me. He observed the wound on my forehead at length, and then began to talk.

`You'll live. If I don't kill you... You know what? I'll let you live. To be honest, it might even serve me well. You obviously bear no love for this crook, given that you rearranged his face with a paperweight.'

He looked towards Bayle for a second, and then back to me.

`I bet you are wondering about the heart. Let's just say, it's a message. This fool thought he could get away with doublecrossing me. He hired me to kill a rival of his. Then he sent some lowly thugs to kill me instead of paying my services. Big mistake... Now, everyone in Ashkel will know never to make that same mistake.'

I slowly realized the implications of what he was saying. I was right. Gareth Bayle was the man who had Katherine killed. The blue eyed man with the black scarf was the assassin... He was an arm's reach away and I could do nothing but listen. I couldn't attack him, I couldn't even cry out in anger. Paralyzed as I was, I could do naught but be consumed by my rage as he spoke.

`There are many interesting organs in the human body. It serves a man of my trade well to know the anatomy inside and out. I know a little more than most. Blame that on my father. Though I guess he never thought I'd use his knowledge quite like this... Regardless, I always have a hard time choosing which organ to remove. That's why I use the dice.'

Then he pulled the dice from his pocket and showed it to me.

`Removing the liver or the stomach undamaged is much easier than the heart, or the lungs. Especially the lungs. You see, the ribs are in the way. So, the higher the number, the higher the difficulty. One is for the spleen, two is for the kidney. Three is for the stomach, which is still relatively easy to remove, although it is a bit tougher than the first two since it's quite a large organ. Four is the liver. Five is the heart, which is damn tough to remove properly, and six is for the lung, which is even worse. Sometimes, when I roll a six, I roll again. Especially when I don't have a lot of time...'

He threw the dice in the air and caught it, then put it in his pocket and stood up. He glanced around and then looked back at me.

`It's time I took my leave of this place. Worry not, the poison's effects will wear off by the morning. Someone might find you earlier though. I imagine a patrol will spot that the guards are missing and will come take a look. Oh, by the way, did you put that chair against the door? I actually had to come in through the window. Not that it would have been much trouble to break the door down, but it would have been noisy. No matter. Let's just say we're even now that I've scarred you. I bid you farewell, stranger.'

Then he left. And I was dying on the inside, knowing that the man who killed my wife was an arm's reach away and I could not kill him...

Hours later a guard patrol indeed noticed that something was wrong, and they found me and Bayle's corpse. A medic treated me, but the poison's effects held out until the morning, and it took me a few days to fully recover. The scar on my forehead is still there, a reminder of my first encounter with the man who killed my wife.

But I assure you, I will find him again. Speaking of which, I should get back to what I've been doing. Whether you like that, or not.

Breaking point

Ashkel, present day (3 years, 2 months, and 2 days before Twilightfall)

`Seems like you don't value your fingers or your ears much.' I tell him as I grab his hair. `I will have to take something else. Something you must value more.'

`No, please! What are you doing?!'

`Left, or right?'

`What?!'

`I said, left, or right? Choose, or I'll just take them both.'

`What are you talking about?!' he screams, trembling.

`Left eye, or right eye? Choose. Now.' I tell him slowly.

`No!' he screams in fear. `You can't do this, man! This just ain't right...'

`Right. As you wish.'

`What... No... No!'

As I sink the blade in his eye socket, he begins to scream like never before. He thrashes his body as best he can and tries to wriggle himself free from my grasp, but I hold his head tight by his hair as I slowly keep cutting. A minute later I toss his bloody right eye on the table next to his other severed pieces. I release him and step away. I sit down by the table and wait for him to settle down and gather his strength. Many long minutes pass until he finally seems to come out of the shock.

`Now...' I address him. `I will repeat it again. I am looking for a man. Black hair, blue eyes. He likes to cover his face with a black scarf. He has the voice of a learned man. Three weeks ago he...'

`Konen...' he whispers. At last, he is broken!

`What?'

`His name... is Konen...' he says, somewhat louder.

`Konen? Is that his family name?'

`Yes... I don't remember his first name. Something with an E... I really don't remember...'

`Don't lie to me you son of a bitch! I want his name!' I tell him as I jump to my feet and threateningly raise the dagger towards him.

`I'm not lying, I really don't remember... No-one calls this guy by anything other than his nickname...'

`Which is...?!'

`Viper... Everybody... just calls him... the Viper...'

`The Viper?'

`Yes... He is fond of poisons... That's why... That's why he's called that...'

`Now we're getting somewhere... Konen, the Viper... Tell me more! Before I cut out your other eye...'

`You can't do this man... I know who you are, you're that dead woman's husband. You're with the Guild, you can't do this! This is against the laws of the city!'

`Oh, you are sorely mistaken... I am no longer with the Fighter's Guild...'

Saying farewell

Ashkel, a few weeks ago (3 years, 2 months, and 23 days before Twilightfall)

So we're back to this. I already mentioned it to you, didn't I? That I'm not with the Guild any more? Yes, I think I did. Well, now I'll tell you all about it. About how I quit.

Truth be told, I wonder if the Guildmaster knew how far I'd go. Perhaps he did. Doesn't really matter though. He's not going to stop me. Not just because he can't. Well, let me tell you about my last conversation with him. About my last day in the Fighter's Guild.

A few days after the incident, I was in the Guildmaster's office. Guildmaster Arlon was a good man. An aged veteran warrior who had seen countless battles in his prime and persevered through all of it. He was deeply saddened by Katherine's death. Even so many days later, I could see that in his eyes.

`Have a seat, lad.' he told me when I entered his office. I thanked him and I sat down.

He silently looked me in the eye while resting his battle worn hands on the desk. He finally addressed me after some time.

`Excuse my silence, lad. I am at a loss for words. I would ask how you feel, but...'

`That's alright, sir.'

`What brings you here today, lad?'

`I... I don't know how to begin... I've been thinking these past days. I have decided to resign from the Guild, sir.'

`Resign?' he asked, as his eyebrows ran up to the top of his forehead.

`Yes, sir. I have concluded that this is the right thing for me to do.'

`Lad, you haven't done anything wrong in Gareth's house as far as I understand. Some people spread rumors that you went there with ill intentions, but the poison in your body and that wound on your forehead prove your story true. You need not even consider resigning over mere rumors...'

`Sir, there is some truth to those rumors. But that's not why I'm resigning.'

`Truth? But you did not kill Gareth, did you?'

`No, sir. I went there to learn the truth. I had a suspicion and I had to know...'

`Perhaps you've overstepped your bounds, lad, but I cannot hold that against you after the loss you've endured. And Gareth... Gareth, it seems, got what he deserved in the end. You must now put the past behind you. Build a future.'

`I cannot, sir.'

`Yes you can, lad. We need you. I need you.'

`Sir, I...'

`Tell me, have you met Sebastian yet?'

`Who?'

`Sebastian Swann. Do you know him?'

`Not well. I believe I never worked directly with him, but I know who he is. They say he's good.'

`Oh, he's more than good. He will be my successor. Later this year I will step down, lad. I no longer have what it takes to lead. I have grown old, and tired... It is time someone else took over. Sebastian will be the one to take my place.'

Sebastian Swann. One of the most promising members of the Fighter's Guild in recent memory. For his young age he is unbelievably respected both for his prowess as a warrior and his tactical knowledge. He has a great future, no-one doubts that. He could be a great general someday, I am sure. But to be Guildmaster... So soon... That seemed unlikely.

`Isn't he too young to be Guildmaster?'

`No doubt, he is too young, but he has my full confidence. He is a warrior like no other, and an outstanding tactician. He has both the fighting skill and the intellect required to be Guildmaster. In my eyes, he has earned this promotion. I alone decide who takes my place, the advisors have no say in this. My decision is final, it will be Sebastian, and all will accept my decision.'

`Forgive me, sir, I did not mean to doubt your decision.'

`That's alright. Nothing wrong with a little doubt. In fact... I'm glad you brought this up. You see, Sebastian will need people to rely on. Men like yourself.'

`Me, sir? Why?'

`I can appoint Sebastian Guildmaster but if he does not earn the unconditional respect of the Guild as a leader, many will undermine his efforts at every turn. He needs a group of supporters who are themselves highly respected within the Guild who can back him up. Like yourself. Or that... that Vincent character...'

`Vincent? I don't know anyone by that name.'

`He works with Sebastian a lot. They're good friends. He's a great warrior. Just like you. Lad, Sebastian needs men like you to support him. It is imperative for the future of our Guild. We need you, lad.'

`Guildmaster, I... I am grateful for the confidence... but I cannot stay. After all that's happened, I have to quit. Immediately.'

Then he stood up and walked over to me, and placed his hand on my shoulder. He looked at me seriously and tried to persuade me into staying.

`Lad, listen. You can't just throw your career away like that. Katherine wouldn't have wanted this, I am...'

Suddenly angered, I stood up and shook his hand off.

`You don't tell me what she would have wanted!' I told him harshly. Then I added: `Sir...'

He didn't seem offended though.

`I understand your anger, lad, but there's nothing you can do.'

`Yes there is! I saw the killer. Saw his eyes, heard his voice. I can find him!'

`How? How could you possibly...'

`The Cabal, sir. They must know who he is.'

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a second .

`The Cabal...' he repeated. I just nodded.

The Cabal. Yes, I was going to tell you about them, wasn't I?

Well, what is there to say? The Cabal are the underworld of Ashkel. A well organized group of thieves, smugglers, assassins, and whatever else operates outside the laws of the city. They rule the night, they rule the alleyways, and if the Mage Guild and Fighter's Guild weren't here, they'd rule Ashkel. An ambitious group of outlaws that many have tried to eradicate, but none have succeeded. A tenacious bunch, ruthless, and efficient. A few decades ago the Mayor of Ashkel decided to eradicate them once and for all. Not much later he was found dead and dismembered. Nothing was done to bring his killers to justice. A new Mayor was elected who pretended that the previous one died a natural death. Such power the Cabal has over the fearful citizens of Ashkel.

The Fighter's Guild has crossed paths with the Cabal many times in the past. Each time, both sides suffered losses, and in the end there was an unspoken truce just so the bloodshed would stop. Today, the Guild tries to keep out of the alleys and the Cabal tries to avoid crossing the Guild. Neither side tries to risk a war any more. Arlon knew that. Therefore, he questioned my logic.

`Lad, what makes you think the Cabal did this?' he asked. `They would not risk a conflict with us, no matter how much Gareth offered to pay.'

`Sir, you must remember that years ago similar murders were committed in the city. Whoever did this must have connections with the Cabal. Even if they did not authorize this, they certainly know something about the assassin.'

`What are you thinking to do, lad?'

`I can make them talk. I will corner members of the Cabal, and find out what they know. Sooner or later I will find someone who knows who the killer is, and where I may find him...'

`This is not our way, lad...'

`Which is why I'm quitting. If I'm not one of you, I can't bring shame upon you. Nor will I risk a war between the Guild and the Cabal.'

Guildmaster Arlon sighed and slowly walked back to his desk. He sat down, and stared blankly for a while. Then he sighed again, and looked at me with a sad expression.

`Very well, lad. I will not hold you back. I accept your resignation from the Guild. I will allow you to pursue this quest.'

`Thank you.'

Then his face turned serious and strict.

`But there is something you need to remember, lad. Open your ears, and listen well. I know you. I know there will be bodies in your wake. As long as only members of the Cabal lie dead in your wake, I will look the other way, and the Guild will not hinder your progress. However, as soon as one innocent falls because of you, we will have to put you down. Do you understand, Ryan?'

`You will do what you must. I'm fine with that. I will do the same.'

His face turned sad once more, but he nodded silently.

`Farewell, sir. Thank you for everything.' I told him, and I headed for the door. He addressed me once more before I could leave.

`One last thing, lad. This I say not as your Guildmaster. This I say as a friend... I hope you find that bastard... and give him Hell!'

I nodded, and walked out of his office.

Now you know everything. You know why I'm doing what I'm doing, and what I'm trying to achieve. Perhaps you even understand me. Though you may still judge me. I'm sure you still dislike my actions. Well, I do not care. This isn't about you, it's about me, and Katherine. It's about justice, and whether you agree with my means of exacting justice or not is irrelevant. You cannot stop me after all. All you can do is what you've been doing so far: observe. So observe, and see whether I get where I need to go.

I've spoken enough, there is no need for more of this. You just keep observing, while I keep doing what I must. Judge me or don't, I will carry on. As I must.

Epilogue

To catch a snake

Ashkel, present day (3 years, 2 months, and 2 days before Twilightfall)

`I'm going to say this slowly, so you will understand every word.' I tell him, holding the tip of the dagger an inch from his remaining eye. `I have lost everything that mattered to me. I have nothing left. With nothing to lose, a man will do whatever he must to find retribution. The man I seek killed my wife. He destroyed my life... He took everything from me! For this, I will find him, and I will kill him.

You are not the first I asked about this bastard. No. In the past weeks I've tried to get his name and whereabouts out of about half a dozen other members of the Cabal. They all died before they could give me anything useful. But you know this, don't you? Now... You... You finally gave me something useful, but it's not enough. So if you want to live, you'd better talk! Now! Do you understand? If you don't talk, I will cut out your other eye and pour salt into the wound. Then I will cut off your most precious organs from between your legs, piece by piece. I won't stop there. I won't stop cutting until you either talk or die of the pain I inflict upon you! Then I will mark you like the rest and leave you here for your comrades to find. Do you understand?!'

`Alright, alright! I'll tell you what I know...' he says, with audible fear in his voice.

`I'm listening.' I tell him, without lowering the dagger. He looks at the tip of the blade with fear, and then begins to talk.

`First of all... the Viper doesn't work for us. Not any more. He worked for the Cabal, long ago... but then he deserted us. He's a freelancer. We... would like nothing better than to see him dead.'

`Would you now? Really?'

`When we heard of the first murder, we knew it was him. We were greatly surprised. That he would dare... dare to take a contract in Ashkel. Ashkel belongs to the Cabal, we allow no freelancers to work here. We went looking for him...'

`Yet you couldn't find him, could you?'

`He was moving way too fast. He eluded us. After the second murder he left the city, of this we are certain.'

`Where is he?'

`I don't know. I can only assume he went back to where he's been active for the past several years.'

`You claim you wanted him dead for years, and you sent no-one after him?'

`Outside of Ashkel?! Of course not! It would have been insane. We may rule Ashkel, but... We have no power outside the city. The Viper is... nearly unstoppable. There's naught but one man who could kill him. A guy named Doorn. Shady guy, wears a hood, has a deep voice. Used to work for us, for a short time, but he left Ashkel long ago. He doesn't seem to like staying in one place long. We'd need him to take out the Viper...'

`Look at me. Look at me... Do I look like I care?! Do I look like I give a damn if you and your people are too scared to face Konen?'

`You don't understand... He is...'

`Shut up! I don't care how good he is or how much you fear him! I just want to know one thing and one thing only... Where... is... he?!'

`As I said, I... I can only guess, but... When he abandoned us years ago, he went to the southwest of Delamar. The regions near the dwarven border, just north of the Bleeding River. He's worked there for years. My best guess is he went back there. He knows we won't chase him, so...'

`Why there?'

`I don't know. Maybe he thought that's far enough from the Cabal...'

`Perhaps... but not far enough from me...' I tell him as I lower the dagger from his eye. With a sigh of relief his body seems to relax in my grasp.

`One last question.' I tell him. `If you and your people are so Hell bent on killing him, why did you refuse to talk? Face it, you and I both want the Viper dead, so why didn't you just tell me everything right from the start? You could have spared yourself a lot of trouble...'

`It's a Cabal matter.' he says. `He may have deserted us, but it's still no business of outsiders. He was one of us, we must be the ones to deal with him. Killing the Viper is our duty. If he ever shows his face here again, we will finish him off.'

`He will never show his face here again, I can promise you that...'

`Do you really think you can kill him?' he asks. I look at the dagger in my hand, then look him in the eye.

`Yes. Somehow like this.'

As I reply to him, I swiftly stab the dagger into his throat, and twist it. Then, as I pull it out, I slash on the artery of his neck. His remaining eye goes wide as blood sprinkles above and he begins to cough. I let him go and he falls face first on the table, dying. I wipe the dagger clean as I look at him. A minute passes and his body ceases to move.

`No... Not like this.' I tell his lifeless carcass as his empty gaze stares back at me. `This would be too fast. And I don't want him to die fast, no...'

I grab him by the hair and pull his head up, then I sink the dagger in the skin on his forehead. I carve my initials into it, much as I did with all the others. Much as I will do with anyone else whom I must slay as I fight my way to the man who killed my Katherine...

Slowly I stand up and sheathe the dagger, looking at my handiwork. I am not proud of what I have done, but I feel no shame either. This is retribution. This is justice. This is what it takes to find the man who killed my beloved Katherine.

My poor beloved Katherine... Mere weeks ago, everything seemed so bright. Now there is only darkness. And her killer is on the loose. But not for long...

I've known his eyes and voice for weeks. Now I know his name. Now I know where he's gone. I'm going to find him. And when I do...

No power in this world or beyond it will be able to save him...

Coming Soon:

Rider of the Black Horse

Part I: Emptiness

The Rider of the Black Horse is a legend of nightmares. The Rider is essentially a symbol of death. Legends speak of the Rider slowly walking through villages and every last living soul dropping dead as the Rider merely passed them by. Legends speak of the Rider being the last sight of dying men. Legends speak of the Rider taking warriors into the Afterlife after they fell in battle. There are countless such legends surrounding the Rider. The one thing they all have in common, is that he brings death to wherever he goes. For one who was born in Arghard to have a name which means one with the Rider is bad omen, so they say. I was never keen to superstition, but this troubled me. It filled me with a sense of dread, a terror that my life would be filled with death.

I always hoped time would prove me wrong.

I had no idea... - Jason Vogan, 17 years, 4 months, and 8 days before Twilightfall

Volume One of the Rider of the Black Horse pentalogy, Emptiness follows the story of a young wizard apprentice called Jason Vogan. Plagued by a dark heritage Jason struggles with his inner demons - literally - while a mysterious assassin is tasked with murdering the Supreme Councilors of Ess'yer. The assassination would bring about an age of war for the lands of Ess'yer, yet, a much darker future looms on the horizon, as with Jason Vogan's return to his homeland master and apprentice will meet one more time and their meeting will begin a chain of events that will change the world forever. We are a mere two years and three months away from Twilightfall...