Chapter 2 – Shadows
ON THE TOWN OF CALIPAH
WESTERN TERRITORIES
After departing with Lucius from the restaurant, Damien walked over to his carriage parked a few stores away from it. He signaled his guards to prepare to leave and they swiftly followed.
He casually glanced back, thinking of looking at his friend and where he might go next. He is really concerned about the way Lucius is acting right now, especially since the latest fiasco of his have kicked him out of his House.
He tried to look at Lucius but what he saw made him stop in his tracks. There is some shadowy figure following the jaunty figure of his friend, peacefully oblivious of the possible dangers that it may signify.
He snapped his fingers and got the attention of Rurark, his main guard, and ordered, "Please follow Lucius. If needed, kill anyone who is trying to harm him."
The guard just nodded and seemingly disappeared.
Damien just stood there for a bit until he could no longer see the back of Lucien's head. He turned around again to go back to the town center. He needed to seriously talk with his father to be able to properly secure his friend's life.
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Lucius, unbeknownst to his friend, is actually uneasy for unknown reasons. He doesn't suspect Damien, for he's more straightforward than he is. If he needs people to disappear, then they will disappear, no need for a mouse and cat game. No, this is something else, his dangerous senses have been tingling ever since he wrote the article and proceeded to print it out and distribute it to the masses.
He is very sensitive to danger ever since he has been ostracized by the higher beings for "disrupting and corrupting young minds" with his stories. Honestly, the amount of venom that these "young minds" could think of is worse than what he is writing. He admits he might exaggerate some things to excite the boring minds of the towners but he never lied. Everything that he wrote is based on facts and facts alone!
Or, to the immortal words of his cultivation addict friend, he is "selective and obsessive" with his facts that it gets twisted into something else. Hmm. He's the one to talk with all the grandstanding of finding ancient teachings or whatever. Hmph!
He started to forget some of the uneasiness he was feeling and proceeded to mock his other friend in his mind. 'I am not the only oddball here. Who in their right mind would turn their back on the crown just to crawl on gravestones for possible ancient teachings? Who said I'm the one crazy in our group?'
He was so busy with his revelry that he didn't notice that the shadow following him before was becoming more opaque, forming a tangible body that resembled a gaunt, tall man. However, if you try to peek up to see his face, there is just a blur that will make you think the heat is causing you to hallucinate.
A faceless, shadowy figure of a man who somehow created a slim knife, ready to pounce on Lucius' back.
Suddenly a scuffle and Lucius immediately turned around, his stance on defense, taking out his poisoned tipped dagger from his sleeve. However, what he saw made his jaw drop. There, Rurark, Damien's guard, is currently taking off a knife from a body that looks like it's rotting.
"What on the Light's name? Rurark, what's going on?"
The guard just briefly glanced at him but didn't stop at what he was doing. Right now, he is searching for the corpse.
He was afraid to look at the corpse but he bravely stepped forward and called his attention again, "Rurark, hey buddy, do you know that person?"
After a few more seconds of silence, the guard stood up and brought out a bottle full of green viscous-looking fluid. He removed the cork and slowly and meticulously poured the liquid over the corpse. It's a body liquefication liquid, used by assassins and worth almost two months of his previous salary.
He swallowed and inwardly complained about the high cost. 'If you are going to waste such liquid on a rotting corpse, just give the money-making item to me, Light!"
After the alley is rid of a corpse, Rurark turns to Lucius and says, "Master Damien told me to protect you."
Lucius stayed silent for a bit more, hoping for a continuation of the explanation but the guard just stood there and looked at him. He scratched at his face in annoyance, he was too curious but with this tight-lipped guard, what information could he glean? None.
He sighed and told the guard to just stay hidden then, and follow him. He is used to his friends being overprotected and of course, his family also sent him guards so he is used to them.
Besides, he does not have the luxury of time to worry about a rotting corpse disappearing or what-have-you. He has bigger toads to cook right now. And no one is going to stopped him.
With this resolution, he went on his way, now walking with lighter steps than he was. 'Huh, the feeling of danger was gone.'
He silently thanked Damien for his impeccable timing and Rurark of course. He could now proceed to the next step without any worries.
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On the other side of town, in the commoners' area, in one of the dingy rooms buried among the filth and rot of the city, a candle on a sea of candles had abruptly lost its flame. The room attendant was surprised by that and immediately checked the name underneath the pedestal where the candle stood.
Shadow Ten, it read.
The person stopped breathing for a moment before scrambling to go out of the candle-lit room and run. His master is not going to like whatever report he will bring.