(City of Galrannor)
(The Slums- Madam Rose's Brothel)
Claire gently stepped on a rooftop and looked down at the city below her feet.
The scent of sewage and filth filled the air.
Homeless men and women huddled together for warmth and tried to avoid the roaming gangsters that patrolled the area.
Loud cursing and the occasional sounds of fighting could be heard coming from the distance.
Dozens or maybe hundreds of golden threads flowed out of Claire's body and led towards different locations.
Two magnificent translucent wings sprouted out from her back and her eyes were glowing with a golden luster.
Claire tightened her grip on her longsword as she felt a rush of power flow through her veins.
It was unlike anything that she had ever felt before.
This power… this strength… was incredibly addicting.
There was a small voice inside her mind screaming that something was wrong, but Claire ignored the noise.
Sinners needed to be punished.
Claire jumped off the roof and landed on the ground with a heavy thud.
She ignored the shocked expressions on the faces of those who saw her appearance and headed towards a large one-story building.
A sickeningly sweet scent of perfume flowed out of the building whose walls were painted a bright pink colour.
Giggling men and women posed in front of the entrance of the building wearing skimpy lingerie sets that barely covered their bodies.
"Excuse me… what are you doing here?" a large man growled and tried to block Claire's path.
The holy knight stared at him for a moment and then stepped forward.
She gripped him by the throat and then flung his massive body to the side with frightening ease.
The security guard crashed against a nearby wall, and then slid to the ground while groaning in pain.
The prostitutes in front of the building screamed in terror but Claire passed them by without touching them.
She was not here to hurt the innocent.
Only her targets would be punished.
The golden thread that had led her to this place of carnal pleasure was connected to a man named Martin Bruno.
Claire assumed that he was also a member of the powerful Bruno family but there was not a single trace of fear in her heart.
The holy knight entered the building and found herself in a large open hall with a raised platform in the center of the room.
Exotic dancers wriggled and twisted against poles while a crowd of expensively dressed men and women cheered them on.
Claire saw a handsome middle-aged man at the back of the room who was currently enjoying the services of two scantily clad women.
His face was contorted in pleasure, and he used his hands to gently rub the top of their heads.
A few bodyguards stood silently a fair distance away from him and were constantly scanning the brothel for any unexpected threats.
The holy knight's figure blurred and then vanished from the spot.
She reappeared right next to Martin before he could even react to her sudden presence.
Claire swung her sword and a burst of holy light erupted from the tip of her blade.
This beam of light slammed into Martin's chest and neatly bisected his body in half. His corpse fell to the ground and loud screams could be heard.
The scantily clad women who were next to his body ran away in fear as they felt the shadow of death loom over them.
"What have you done?!" a voice erupted in rage.
Claire tilted her head and saw three heavily armoured soldiers rushing towards her.
They were dressed in a yellow and blue coloured uniforms and the hatred in their eyes was clear to see.
One of the soldiers swung his sword at Claire's exposed neck but the holy knight did not even flinch.
Crack!
The sword shattered against Claire's flesh and a cold expression appeared on her face. She knew that his attack would not be able to hurt her.
The power whispered to her… it said that she could not longer be hurt by ordinary weapons.
It told her that nothing could stop her…
Nothing.
"A… a tier one knight?!" one of the soldiers gasped in shock.
"No… I've seen a tier one knight before… what kind of monster are you?"
Their hatred soon turned to fear as Claire's inhuman eyes that shone brightly like a sun turned towards them.
Holy runes floated in the air above her body and in that moment, she seemed like an angel of death sent down to cast judgement on the guilty.
Claire took one step forward and the armoured soldiers immediately dropped their weapons and fled.
Although they may have some loyalty to the Bruno family…
Loyalty meant nothing in the face of death.
The atmosphere inside the brothel was completely silent as neither the patrons nor the dancers dared to even move a single muscle.
"My name is Claire Blanlyn, and I am a holy paladin of the Varion Church. I have punished Martin Bruno for his crime of defiling a sacred place," Claire coldly spoke.
"Those who commit evil in the temple of the Lord of Light will be hunted down and killed under article nineteen of the Inquisitor Code."
The wings on her back unfurled and the sounds of trumpets could be heard coming from somewhere beyond the void.
Claire touched another golden thread and saw a new location flash across her mind.
This time her target was fast asleep in his bed.
The room where he slept was a luxurious open space with a king-sized mattress and expensive paintings that hung on the walls.
He was a skinny man with a large, hooked nose and two beady eyes that made him seem almost like a rat.
His name was Liam Morris, and he was another client who had used the church to satisfy his sadistic need for torture and other sick desires.
Claire's brows furrowed and she felt a trace of disgust enter her heart.
How could Father Simon forsake his vows and do such monstrous things?
The holy knight could feel her faith in the Varion Church slowly begin to crumble away.
The Lord of Light had blessed humanity with his power to protect the weak and to make the world a better place.
And this was how they repaid him…
Claire took one final look at the corpse laying lifelessly at her feet and then walked out of the brothel with slow, purposeful steps.
The golden threads connected to her body was her calling.
While it was impossible to fully eliminate evil from this world and maybe her actions would do more harm than good…
Claire was determined to see her task out to the bitter end.
Those who betrayed and sullied the name of Lord Varion would pay the ultimate price.
Tonight, was destined to be a night of bloodshed.