I don't know how, but the smell of ale made me feel both depressed and content at the same time. I'd ruined my life by choosing to live in this awful city, and now the only thing that kept me sane was the empty shot glasses that sat in front of me. I leaned over to the bartender Sticks, and notioned him to fetch me another drink, my stained leather coat dripping in the puddle of whiskey I had split earlier that night.
"You're not lookin' too hot there Thomas." Sticks spat, his eyepatch slouched down his face, showing a little bit of his eye that had been stabbed back in one of his previous endeavors.
I downed the entire glass he handed me in one gulp, sending my throat on fire, "I'm fine. Besides, I've got nothin' better to do."
"Have it your way." he coughed, "But don't blame me when you make a mess of the floor."
I waved my hand in a circular motion, making another glass of alcohol float slowly towards me.
"Thomas." Sticks voice broke my concentration, making the cup fall onto the sticky floor breaking into a thousand pieces, "I thought I told you already, no use of mortes are allowed in this establishment. It always makes the crowd rowdy."
"Yeah yeah."
"I'm not sure you understand, you brought in a creat the other day. Those are a big offense in these parts. If I was one of those creats I'd stay clear of Zleigh, that's for sure. Look, all I'm trying to say is that you're really comfortable with breaking the rules, got it?"
"I'm capable of abiding by my own rules, Sticks. I'm a part of the Dawn Syndicate after all."
"Why exactly did you take that job Thomas? All you do is bust thugs with a bunch of stuck up do-gooders."
"Look, it's easy money. All I have to do is escort some Lord, or bust some pushover thug. Plus, when I finish protecting the Lords at Friday's banquet I'll come here and buy drinks for everyone, this job's gonna pay big bucks."
"With a promise like that, I guess your job ain't too bad."
"Yeah," I got up from the bar stool I was sitting on and started to make my way towards the exit, "Thanks for the drinks, just put 'em on my tab."
"B-But Thomas, you're tab's full. I need payment!"
But it was too late, I had already slammed the creaky wooden door behind me, thus ending another cold night in Zleigh.
At first when I had been asked to join the Dawn Syndicate, I was sceptical. There had been talk of a group of men who would constantly patrol the town at night, their faces covered by a blood red mask. It had been rumored that they had stopped multiple attempts of assassination on a few different Lords, but nothing had been finalized. After that, they seemingly disappeared and the talk about the Dawn Syndicate faded away, any knowledge on the subject seemingly being forgotten.
After a month all memories about the group had been left behind and crime returned to normal, stealing and murdering returning to daily life. Others believed the Dawn Syndicate was nothing more but a myth, but not myself. I had spent weeks browsing numerous books in the library. I devoted every breathing second to learning more about the syndicate, but unfortunately I had no luck.
I was sitting in my apartment, sipping an evening beer when I heard a knock come from my door. I can't really explain it, but as I crept nervously forwards, I felt a sort of ominous and strong presence coming from the other side. I grasped the metal handle, and pulled it open revealing a crimson red mask laying on the ground in front of me, the signature of the Dawn Syndicate.
I picked up the mask, it's circular frame came into a jagged point at the end, splitting into three sharp prongs. Along it's sharp edges were dark red markings that seemed to shift and glow in the dim sunlight as I turned the mask from side to side, making it look like the mask was shifting almost like a mirage. I turned the mask around, and a faded slip of paper fell onto the stained wooden floor. My curiosity overcame me, I briskly picked up the strange letter and glowing yellow words began to form on its surface, the letters dancing like a group of innocent fairies.
Join us.
That was all the strange message said. Confused, I rushed back into my home with the crimson mask in my hands, fumbling through my messy drawers to grab a quil and some ink. I frantically scrambled to grip the feather, my hands turning in a shaking motion spelling the words:
What do you ask of me?
I set down my quil, anxious of what were to happen next, but nothing showed up. I waited at the desk for hours, and after around five hours of pacing the room waiting for a response the paper began to glow, it's white texture starting to shimmer like an ocean wave.
That is for you to decide.
I blacked out, and that's when my new life began.
I stepped out in the street, the warmth from Stick's bar immediately leaving me as a chill cut through the padding of my leather jacket. This was yet another reason why I hated this cursed place, the constant control of shipments and supplies from the merchants and Lords, people being robbed in the streets left and right, and of course: the weather.
There was just something about here that set me off edge, but hopefully when the Dawn Syndicate and I are finished, Zleigh will be a lot less insufferable. Others may not agree with me when I say this, but Zleigh is a society completely built on fear. The Lords give off a fake sense of democracy, as they cast votes but eventually rig the results, making it seem like the people's choices and opinions matter. If someone were to question these methods, the Lords could threaten to stop shipments of supplies to the docks, or fire them from their job. While I don't have enough solid evidence on this, the Dawn Syndicate and I are determined to gain more evidence, and eventually expose the Lords and free this corrupt city.
I spun these thoughts around my head as I walked through the gloomy streets, clutching the pin of the syndicate mask I always kept on my jacket. Something about always keeping the mask on my person comforted me. Despite it giving me immense magical power, it also warned others that dared to pickpocket or rob me just who they were dealing with.
As I continued to walk down the gloomy street, I noticed the mask on my coat started to glow a light red colour as it began to shift in the dim moonlight. I blinked once and reality itself began to melt away around me, leaving me in a total expanse of darkness.
"I thought I told you to stop doing this, Serpens." I called.
A booming voice echoed through the seemingly endless void, "You know we can't meet up in person, you've sworn the sacred oath, haven't you?"
"Yes…" I sighed, "I just don't see why we can't meet in a dark or alley or something. These whole astral projection things always give me a massive headache."
"We can't make any acceptions." His voice was raspy, like the sound of gravel spilling across the floor, "I assume you're prepared for the Lord's banquet?"
"Somewhat, I'm still a little confused about what exactly you and the others are searching for. I was told there had been some sort of… Disturbance."
"Yes, we didn't make that clear did we. One of our sources caught wind of a team of thugs that are planning to supposedly hijak the banquet. Not only is this a great opportunity to earn some cash, but we'll also be able to snoop in on the Lord and hopefully get the evidence we need. I hope you understand that this mission is essential and should be held in the highest of regards, yes?
"Of course, I understand. I replied, "But what do you want from me?"
"You ever heard of The Wisps?" Serpens blood red eyes gleamed in the darkness like a lamp.
I let out an uncomfortable chuckle, remembering Stick' story of how he lost his eye, "Yeah… I've heard of them. I'm told they're not to be trifled with."
Serpens appeared out of nowhere in front of me. His Crimson cloak perfectly matched his mask, while it was the same that all the other members of the syndicate wore, it bore a few differences. While the mask still came to three jagged points at the end, it looked battle hardened and worn. The colour of the mask had been slightly faded from use and scrapes and gashes lined the outside of the mask.
Serpens drew a rezen katana from his belt, the signature weapon of the Dawn Syndicate. It's thin silver blade seemed to act as a shining beacon in the endless darkness that surrounded me.
He spun the blade on his gloved fingers, admiring the crimson line that went across the middle of the blade and the leather hilt, "Apparently they're hiding out in an abandoned mill that lies just in the outskirts of town."
"Strange… Have you decided who's going to go and stop them?"
Serpens sheathed his blade, giving me an intense look.
"Don't tell me…" I paced the ground, growing anxious at the thought of going, "Serpens you know I don't go on the frontlines."
"I know, we chose you for a reason and you're practically wasting your skill and potential by sitting back and letting the others do all the work."
I was about to retaliate, but I noticed that the red stripe across Serpen's sword began to glow, making me back down.
"Will I at least have some others join us?" I stuttered, the words barely escaped my mouth, "You surely can't expect me to do this on my own."
After some thought, Serpens responded, "I do suppose I could let Marnie and Axel join you, that is if they agree to it."
"How come they get a choice but I don't?"
"They have proven themselves as great soldiers in battle by defeating many foes, unlike yourself."
"Fine." I sighed, "Can you just let me go now so I can get this over with? I have other things I need to get done."
"Very well."
Serpens snapped his fingers, and I found myself back on the streets of Zleigh. Marnie and Axel were now in front of me, both as confused as I was.
"So uh..." Marnie scratched her head, "The Wisps, am I right?"
Marnie is one of my oldest friends as she was recruited around the same time I was. Not only was she the first one to talk to me after I was recruited, but we were both put in the same squad as we wielded support mortes. You see there are three categories of mortes, power, utility, and support. Marnie has a support morte, meaning that it won't be often used for frontal assaults. She can control small portions of land to make hiding spots, cover, or difficult terrain for the enemy. She can't lift it too high however, as it takes up too much of her stamina.
The same can't be said for Axel however. Axel is incredibly strong and large, making him an absolute powerhouse. With his morte, Axel can make any part of his body incredibly hard, basically turning it into a sort of shield.
"Can we get going already?" Axel's deep voice boomed over Marnie's chatter, "I'm itching to bash some skulls in."
"That would be nice wouldn't it," I snapped, "Unfortunately, Serpens gave me no directions."
"Oh," Marnie played with her red braided hair, "I guess I was the only one who got info on the location of the mill, huh."
"I guess so. Did Serpens mention anything to you Axel?"
"Nuh-uh."
"I'll lead the way then" Marnie beamed, "Shall we suit up?"
I nodded and tapped my pin twice, making my body shimmer and shift in the moonlight. I felt a familiar mask form on my face as a surge of power rippled through my entire body. Once the transformation had ended, I was left draped in a red cloak, a rezen katana at my side.
A now masked Axel strutted towards me, "You ready for your first real mission… Newbie?"
We began our trek towards the outskirts of town immediately, Marnie leading the way. Apparently, she had been told that the mill lay just beyond the southern borders of town and was nestled in some uninhabited swamp.
"Did Serpens tell you anything else Marnie? Cuz he told me just about nothing."
"Uhhh, not that I know of. He just told me the location and that there were about five of 'em."
People in the streets had begun to stare at us, but it's alright. We're used to being mocked and watched. Some people still didn't know that the Dawn Syndicate existed so I guess seeing some guy walking around with a katana and wearing some strange mask was a little out of the ordinary for them.
"So," Axel's booming voice cut through the silent streets like a knife through butter, "What's our game plan?"
"I'm not sure, we'll have to see when we get there." I turned to Marnie, who was adjusting her mask, "Do you know what the mill looks like?"
"Unfortunately no, Serpens didn't show me it at all."
Cursed under my breath and continued with a sigh, "That would've been useful, if there's any structural problems we can just take the thing down from the outside."
���That's no fun though." Axel pouted, "I said I wanted to bash some skulls!"
Marnie put her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure you'll get your chance Axel. So Thomas, your morte is levitation right? You think you could use it to get us a lift out of here or at least an aerial view of the city?"
"Sort of. I can only lift one thing at a time, so we can't really use it for transportation. I can levitate myself up and try and get a view of the marsh though if you want."
"Sure," Marnie beamed, "We'll wait down here, right Axel?"
"Yeah… I guess so. But don't take too long or I'm gonna have to start beatin' civilians."
I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. Unlike a glass of beer, it's quite straining on my body to lift heavy objects, so this was going to be quite a challenge. I pressed my fingertips together and let reality melt away as I relaxed my body, relieving my muscles of all tension.Once I had become completely calm I envisioned energy flowing through my body like a current, washing through my limbs all the way down to my soles.
Sure enough, I felt the wind whip through my hair as I floated upwards slowly, my eyes still shut tight as I concentrated harder, a searing pain shooting through me as I soared higher and higher, it was almost as if my morte was trying to stop me from achieving my goal.
"You're doing great Thomas! Keep it up!" My eyes fluttered open as Marnie's voice pierced the air and broke my concentration, making my ascent come to a stop.
I had drifted about twelve stories high, the towering buildings of Zleigh looked like mere shacks below me and the clouds that floated around me looked like floating tufts of tasty sweet cotton candy. I scanned the surrounding area looking for some sort of marsh, hoping to find an indication that I could use to locate the old mill that we were supposed to find.
"You see anything?" Axel called, despite how high I was, I could still hear his booming voice clear as day.
"Nothing yet," I called, "You gotta remember I'm using most of my energy just to keep floating in place. Be patient Axel."
I hadn't really noticed how massive Zleigh really was until now. I guess it had to mainly do with how I only stayed in one part of the city, so I'd never really thought of a reason to leave the northern regions of the city.
Now that I could see all of Zleigh from above it made me even more intimidated for what was to come next. I mean, as a member of the Dawn Syndicate, my job was to cleanse the city of corporate greed and theft right? But Zleigh was so large it almost made the task seem impossible, like I was striving for something completely unrealistic.
I willed the energy in my body to flow towards my legs as I floated slowly towards the Lord's tower in the center of the city; the place where the banquet I was going to protect was going to be held. I had heard about how massive the tower was, but always believed it to be a lie. This time however, I knew I was wrong. It was truly quite a spectacle, the stained glass windows lined the brick arches that branched from the foot of the building and the peak of the structure came to the point like the mast of a great ship.
My foot touched the peak of the tower, the chilly wind cutting through my crimson cloak. I released all of my energy out of my body as I let out a sigh, my gloved hands clutching the pointed iron mast for dear life. Despite the fact that a mere gust of wind could send me tumbling to my death I lead forward, searching for a smudge of green in the landscape of grey sludge that lay below me.
"Anything now?"
"Would you mind shutting your damn mouth Axel?" I snapped, "I'm looking as fast as I can."
"Sorry newbie. If you weren't new here I'd pound you to the ground, let that serve as a warning."
"Thank you"
As I continued to search through the vast city, a small patch or colour caught my attention. I looked closer and noticed that there was a small marsh to the left of the city hall in the eastern territories.
"I've spotted something!" I yelled, "We need to make our way south towards the city hall and then continue towards the city gates.
"That's great!" Marnie scratched her head, "But uh… Which way is south?"
I sighed and began my downward ascent, still focusing on maintaining control of my morte. It looked like this time I'd actually have to do something during the mission, not exactly my cup of tea. As my dark leather boots touched the wet stone road, a crowd of people began to form around me, asking a variety of questions:
"When will the circus you're from be in town?"
"How exactly do you make yourself fly?"
"Why do you wear that mask?"
I merely plowed through the masses, I guess I should've been used to this sort of thing by now but it all still seemed so strange to me. I was no one, just a drunk idiot who was hellbent on some preposterous dream. I was born worthless and I will continue to stay useless. I suppose this is what being a part of the Dawn Syndicate does to your image.
People nowadays can't resist the intrigue and mystique of the crimson mask, I guess it makes it somewhat of a blessing and a curse. I'd gained unfathomable power and a stable job but at what price? I had lost everything, my family, my home, and most important of all, my dignity. Nowadays life seemed so worthless, I was constantly battling with debt, addiction and myself, but for what? What could I possibly gain from all of this? Money could only be used to pay off my crippling debt or to numb the pain of existence via some shots of whiskey at the bar.
I trudged forwards towards the center of town, turning back to check if Axel and Marnie were following.
"So, what now? Where are we heading?" Marnie questioned.
"We're heading to the center of town, we can continue south from there." I answered.
We continued on our way at a brisk pace, I would say it was almost peaceful, but Axel shouting and Marnie chattering put an end to that thought. After what seemed like an eternity we had finally reached the landmark that stood in the center of Zleigh, the Lord's Tower.
I started to feel sick to my stomach, now that I was at the base of the structure I had realized just how massive it really was. And to think that I was just standing on top of the massive structure without a second thought.
I pushed the thought away and turned towards the others, "We'll head towards the southern gates from here and beyond that should be a small marsh, got it?"
"Yeah, but how do we know which way is south?"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, leaving nothing but my instincts to react to the situation at hand, "I'll do what I've always done before… I'll trust my gut."
Using my instincts as a guide, I focused on my environment and used my internal compass to determine which way south exactly was. After a few seconds of standing still, my eyes fluttered open.
"This way,�� I pointed towards the alley by the bakery and blacksmith, I couldn't put my finger on it but something about those two buildings seemed strangely familiar, "Come on, we don't have much time."
I ran at top speed down the alley, the others trailing behind. At each turn I would merely not think about where I needed to go and would just turn whichever way felt right.
Finally, after winding through many unfamiliar streets and alleys we had finally reached the southern gates of Zleigh. As I had expected the southern gate was identical to the rest, it had the same large iron door and golden trim, along with two reinforced windows made from the finest glass money could buy.
As we slowly approached the towering blockade, the guard roused himself from his nap and greeted us drowsily.
"Hello there." The man's thick accent seemed to mask his voice, making it difficult to hear what exactly he was saying, "How can I be of assistance?"
"We need you to open the gate," I said abruptly, "It's an urgent matter."
"I'm sorry but I'm not permitted to open this gate unless you have proper authentication. You probably know this but with the banquet coming up soon we have to take extra precautions, I hope you understand."
Marnie adjusted her mask, "Sir, we can't stress how important this is."
He stood up from his chair, "I apologize but nobody is allowed in or out of Zleigh until the banquet is finished. Got it?"
I could tell Axel was about to force his way through the gate so I held out my arm to block him from causing any unfortunate casualties, "Very well, you have a good day now."
Marnie grabbed Axel by the collar as we walked away, "What now Thomas?"
I turned my head in her direction, "We find another way out."
We had sat down at one of the many cafe chains that were scattered across town and began to brainstorm, when a brilliant idea popped into my head. I had remembered the stories my now deceased parents used to tell me back when I was young about how criminals would use a secret underground labyrinth to go in and out of the city unnoticed. It was said that these fugitives created an underground society that thrived off of the excess energy being produced by the numerous factories within Zleigh. The secret city, or Evolis was connected by many tunnels that were connected to many hidden entrances around the city, one that was currently sitting under our noses.
"So, how do you expect to get us out of here Thomas?"
I quickly scanned the cafe, if I was correct there were only a few simple steps I had to do to gain access to this so-called Evolis. Without a word I got up from the small garden table we were sitting at and walked tensely towards the barkeep, who was standing at his post slowly washing and drying glasses by hand. I hadn't noticed immediately, but it looked like he was using his morte to quickly dry the silver and blue cutlery.
"Excuse me my good man," I casually leaned next to him, but immediately stood up straight realizing how ridiculous I looked, "Could I trouble you a question?"
The boy's eyes lit up as he set down his rag and glass, "For sure, what can I help you with?"
I tried to reach back into my memories as an image of my mother telling me stories in front of the fireplace began to settle in my mind.
"Remember Thomas, if you ever see someone who is from Evolis, what will you do?"
My eyes would sparkle with that childlike wonder only someone young could muster, "Say the secret passcode!"
Back then it had seemed like childish stories that held no value. They were only used for the means of entertaining but somewhere along the line, I had realized these weren't just stories.
I repeated verbatim what my mother had passionately spoken before bed every night, "For whom does the earth toll?"
The bartender repeated a different phrase back, just like I would have before shutting my eyes, "It tolls for thee."
He eyed me intently before turning and ushering me behind the counter, "Come, I believe we have more selection out back."
"I'm sorry but I have a few friends who would like to view the… selection as well." I pointed towards Marnie and Axel, who had stopped their arm wrestling match and were strolling over in our direction.
"What's this all about? Before I knew it Marnie was practically breathing down my neck, "You never did tell us about what you were doing Thomas."
The now sceptical bartender raised his eyebrow, "I beg your pardon, but it doesn't seem like your friends here aren't informed about our… selection."
Frantically, I deflected the question, "I-I'm sorry but they're perfectly informed."
"If you insist. Come, we have much to discuss."
We followed him inside to a barren room that was only littered with a few barrels and antique kegs, each looking to hold a small amount of excess liquor. The barkeep reached behind one of the barrels as a quiet "click" echoed throughout the empty space.
Amazed, I reared back as the rotting wooden wall in front of me began to unfold like a piece of paper, revealing a brick staircase that stretched into darkness. I peered into the dark passageway as the smell of moist stone made me scrunch my face, luckily nobody else saw due to the mask. I thanked the man, and we began our trek down into the underground city of Evolis.
The hike was long, but bearable. We had spent roughly an hour just walking through a dark tunnel that was only lit by a few lanterns that would show up periodically. Supposedly the underground city was full of many treasures and secrets, but we had no time for such things. If we wanted to finish the job before dark, we would need to pass through the city without taking any detours for sightseeing.
Thankfully after much walking however, we managed to find ourselves in front of a massive steel gate. It was littered with strange glowing glyphs that lined it's golden edges and I couldn't explain it, but it felt as if a strong magical presence was coming from the other side of the door, like a mysterious being calling out to me in a foreign tongue.
"So," I leaned towards Marnie, the familiar scent of apple spice wafting in my direction, "How do you reckon we make our way inside?"
Marnie skipped briskly towards the gleaming gate, "I don't see why we can't just knock politely!"
"Wait, you-"
But it was too late, Marnie had already knocked cheerily, making a hollow booming noise ring throughout the dark cavern.
"Marnie…" I grabbed her by the collar of her cloak and dragged her away from the door before she could knock again, "You well know that there's no chance in hell that they're going to open the city gates because you simply knocked. We're talking about one of the most secret, high security areas to ever exist."
"Can I… Help you?"
I whirled to my right to see an older man with a grey handlebar moustache who was standing in front of the now open doors, slowly tapping his feet impatiently.
Marnie glanced at me smugly before replying, "Yes, we were wondering if we could pass through Evolis."
"Well…" The man brushed his facial hair briskly, "I'm not quite sure, we are quite busy at the moment."
"Sir," I stepped forward, my hand stiffly placed on the hilt of my rezen katana, "This is at the utmost of importance. Will it be alright if we simply pass through? We're just looking to get outside of Zleigh."
Upon hearing what I had to say, the man gave out an abrupt laugh, "Well, why didn't you say so! We always are welcome to have folks pass through down here! Come, I'll give you the tour as you make your way through!"
I was about to protest the idea of a tour, but Marnie quickly interrupted me, "We'd love a tour sir!"
As the man led us through the gates, an odd smell lightly touched my senses. The odor smells like a mix of freshly baked bread, and a rugged blacksmith. We had entered in on a huge marketplace, filled to the brim with crowds of vendors and customers. The massive cavernous walls seemed to be identical to the ones outside of the city, but a bit higher with a slight curve at the apex of the stone surface.
Unlike the tunnel we had just traversed, the hollow frame of Evolis was lined with sparkling jewels of assorted colours. As we walked through the bustling marketplace, I couldn't keep my eyes off of them. It was quite intriguing how they bent the artificial light coming from the streets depending on where you were when gazing at their splendor.
We continued on our way through Evolis, the guide pointing out some of the services that are provided within the town. A Blacksmith and general store were the main focus, but he also briskly mentioned a magic shop located at the edge of town. I suppose since it's a hidden city, magic was allowed.
"So," After a grueling amount of talking Axel piped up, "How big is Evolis exactly? It feels like we've been walking for ages…"
"Well… To be perfectly honest our town isn't quite that big, I've just been trying to stretch out this tour as long as possible. We don't get that many visitors you see and-"
I immediately cut him off, seething with anger and drawing my rezen katana, "You realize what you may have caused us by keeping us here? All of our jobs and lives are on the line if we don't get out of this damn city as soon as possible."
"I d-do apologize" The older man stuttered, "Come with me and I'll show you to the exit then."
We speedily jogged through the various winding streets laid across the town, thankfully it didn't take long before we came across another identical large gate, this time a golden lever forged onto the granite beside it.
"Here we are," the guide said wearily, "Your one stop to the outside of Zleigh. "
"Thank you," Marnie bowed apologetically, "We apologize for leaving so abruptly, we're sure you're lonely down here."
"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm sure we'll have more visitors real soon, with the banquet and all."
We had traversed our way through a small corridor and had caught a glimpse at what appeared to be moonlight. Seeing our way out, we ran at top speed at the source and burst into the outside world. We had come out into what seemed like the large swampland I had spied earlier from atop the Lord's tower.
"Well," I sniffed the air and instantly regretted doing so, "It certainly smells like a swamp."
Marnie inhaled, seeming refreshed by the grotesque stench, "Fresh air is fresh air. Anyhow, should we find those guys and deal with 'em?"
"I guess so," Axel sighed, "but how are we supposed to know where their hideout is? We're in the middle of nowhere."
"Ummm," Marnie tapped Axel on the shoulder, pointing behind him, "Looks like we lucked out on this one."
Turns out the Mill was just within our line of sight, nestled between a clump of pine trees and a small creek. We had cautiously ran towards it and ducked behind some thorn bushes, being sure not to be seen. Even the slightest slip up could tip them off and ruin our entire mission.
I drew my weapon, the blade of the rezen katana gleaming in the moonlight, "So, what's our plan of attack?"
"Axel, you stay here in case something goes wrong. Marnie, you stay on my three and we'll sneak up and flush 'em out."
Marnie's eyes and hands started to glow a bright green, "Sounds good to me. Shall we?"
I rolled out from behind the bush, keeping low to the ground, Marnie trailing behind me. As soon I came within range, I snapped to the moldy wooden wall of the abandoned mill. The entrance was only a few feet away, but it felt like the enemy was standing next to me. I glanced at Marnie and motioned for her to take position at the window above me. As she put her acrobatic skills to the test and silently jumped from ledge to ledge to reach the glass window, I inched closer towards the door.
I glanced up towards the window where Marnie was now perched, waiting for some sort of signal.
"Praemius rem"
My hand started to glow a dark purple as I pressed my palm against the wooden door.
"1"
I felt the door begin to heat up, the warmth making a shiver run up my spine.
"2"
A small pop rang in my ear as a tiny hole began to burn into the wood.
"3"
The door exploded into flames as I ran into the building, my rezen katan ready to slash at any opponents that dared to cross my path.
"This is the Dawn Syndicate, you're under arrest!"
The room was empty, only a small wooden table and chair sat in the center of the mill.
"The hell?" I glanced up towards the window where Marnie was supposed to keep watch but no one was there, she had vanished.
"Dawn Syndicate, eh? We've been expecting you."
I whirled to see the leader of The Wisp's, Grey, behind me. A sinister look shimmering in his eyes as the metallic ring on his finger began to glow.
"Come to stop me have you?" Greyson's pale eyes looked like tiny moons as he stared me down, adjusting the cuffs of his suit.
Gripped my katana tighter, pointing it towards him, "We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way, we have you surrounded. I'd cooperate if I were you."
"You know,"I backed up as he slowly walked towards me, "I've always wondered just what kind of people are hired to join the syndicate, why don't we find out?"
An arm tightly wrapped around my throat as my mask was ripped off of my face, I tried to squirm out of whoever was behind me's grasp but I couldn't do anything, I was helpless.
"Try anything, and I'll crush your throat like a walnut." The voice sounded surprisingly femenine.
"Now, I take it that the others have taken care of your friends. Let's just get this over with shall we?"
"O-Others?" I squeaked.
I watched as Greyson's hands began to sparkle with electricity, and the arm grasping my throat was released.
"I'm sorry to kill another one of you, but nothing will stop my plans. Not even the Marauders!"
"M-Marauders?"
I felt a powerful shock run through my body as I collapsed, my mind seeping into an endless dark void as death's embrace slowly comforted me. It seemed like my whole entire life flashed before my eyes as I struggled to retain consciousness. I felt truly helpless, I had been desperate before but nothing like this.
So this was what dying was like, strangely enough… I didn't mind at all.