Walking off the battling grounds, I walk back to the observing room. "That was a wonderful performance, Ken. It reminded me of the past." Getting closer, I spot a file next to the fruit bowl. Smiling, Lilith hands it to me. "Don't just stare at it, it's yours. Fair and square."
Grabbing the file with both hands, I peek inside. Let it be pictures and routes and times. It's weirdly well-organized. "12th of January, that's in ten days."
Getting a nod from Lilith she tells me. "You don't know his name so I'm gonna call him the bull. The bull is going to meet with a convoy north of the city. He plans to auction off some of the slaves while the rest will be sent to a pre-detriment workforce."
Nodding my head, I close the file and place it in between my clothes.
I'll ask Raven about this later.
Hearing the door to the room open, I see the gray-haired guy who I fought not too long ago. "Ken, I came to thank you for the wonderful fight." Rubbing my head, I say. "Yeah, the pleasure was all mine...."
Seeing me struggle with his name, he helps me out. "Tassir, but call me Tess."
Raising my hands, I ask just to make sure. "Your name is Tess?" Getting a nod, I stop to think it over. "Okay, anyway, I've never seen someone fight with wires. How does that work?"
Lighting up like a lightbulb, he smiles.
"It's all about the way you hold it around your fingers. The Wired commander created them on the battlefield during the last war, and I'm proud to be his student!" Like a hypnotized snake, the wire rises above his head.
"Who?" I ask as I've never heard of this man in my life.
"The Wired William? You don't know him? He's one of the many heroes of the war of places!"
Turning to Lilith, I can see her shrug. "I know him, Raven fought him once. But other than him there are so many other heroes of the war."
"Wait Raven fought this guy?" Getting a nod from both of them, Tess crosses his arms.
"It was about 2 months ago, he came in accusing my master of being in a cult."
....
As Tess watches his master swing the wires, a loud thud get's both of their attention. Seeing a black-haired man with a white scarf, Tess is about to get up but stops at his master's raised hand.
"You're Raven. I heard about you. What brings you here?" Taking a few steps closer, Raven speaks. "You're connected to them, aren't you? The shadows? The golden masks? You know what I'm talking about."
Shaking his head, the master with wires wrapped around his hands starts to walk towards Raven. "I don't, may you be more specific?" Starting to walk in a circle, William rests his wires at his sides.
It may seem like he's relaxed, but with wires as weapons, it's a battle stance.
"You said golden masks. I know of them. They work for Lilith, but these shadows you talk about. I've never heard of such an organization."
Finally coming to a stop, Raven throws a piece of skin to William who catches it in the air with the wires. It's a piece with a lantern tattooed on it.
"The Lantern, That's what they call themselves. This tattoo appears on the ones who swore their lives to its light."
.....
Listening to Tess's story, I remember seeing such a tattoo on Lilith. Looking at her, I make contact with her purple eyes. They're like an empty void that stares at my soul.
Feeling my mind stray, I suddenly remember where I saw it. Back in the hall when the cops stormed the building. Lilith wore a classical dress. It was there where a piece of tattoo on her chest peeked out.
Trying to remember the clear picture, I decided to let my mind roam by listening to Tesses' story.
....
Tess sat there too shocked to move, as his master clashed with this man, his ice and spear proof to be too hard to deal with. Cracking the wire like a whip at Raven, he simply stabbed the ice spear into the ground and jumped up.
The wire struck the spear to no effect. Clicking his tongue, William spins one of his wires above his head and brings it down on Raven.
Hitting the concrete roof, a large crate is formed beneath Raven. Seeing another wire fly at him, he goes into a split to duck under it. Spinning back up on his feet, he slams the spear down on William.
Using the wire wrapped around his arms as makeshift armor, William tries to pull him down only to get kicked to the side.
"Master!" Seeing the man tumble to the side. He shoots the wires and wraps them around Raven's weapon trying to pull him with him. Raven does something no one expected.
Letting go of the ice spear, the sheer force from Willaim pulling it turns it into a javelin. Tossing it to the side, he retracts his wires. Lifting his shirt a large ice block can be seen on his skin.
Taking a knee, he sees Raven extend his hand. The humidity in the air gets attracted to him and forms a pole of water, slowly freezing. Raven's got another fully functioning spear.
....
Stopping his story, we look at Tess expecting something more. "What happened after? Did Raven kill him?" I asked. Shaking his head, Tess leans into a chair while wincing at his cut.
"No, That's kinda where the story ends. I tried to save my master, but instead, I got knocked unconscious. When I woke up everyone was gone, and all that was left was a handwritten letter from my master."
Sighing, he looks at the ceiling light. "He told me that my training was over. He tells me to find my own journey now that he's gone, he also wrote about deciding to fully embrace the life of a father. He has a daughter! Who knew!"
Sitting in the room in silence, Tess is the first one to get up. "Anyways, I should probably get going, if you will even need my help, I live at this address." Handing me a napkin with his address, I thank him for sharing Raven's past with me.
"Nah, You won. think of it as your price." Walking out of the room, I'm left alone with Lilith.
"Ken, come here."