(...) One thing however is certain,

that there is no peace to be found among the sands of time

as they will never cease their endless march toward the future

and your demise. 

- unknown Artist 

"In the first age there was nothing. Nothing but the shifting sands and the endless desert. Until HE decided to make something. To make something out of the endless shifting sand he opened HIS veins and from them endless waters rose. From sand and water, he formed the earth. Green it was, luscious and beautiful. From the earth he formed his children, us the humans and he spread us over the earth. From Noth to south and east to west all humans lived in abundance. They had everything they needed and could ever want. Some of the humans however became greedy. They wanted something which they could not have. They wanted to own others." A murmur of disbelief went through the crowd. "I know that it is hard to believe but it is true and as HE found out HE grew furious with the humans. To punish them he took away what they needed most. HIS blood, their water was taken from them, and the seas dried out and the plants withered, and the fish died and ..." 

As William turned away the pilgrim went on, but he had already stopped listening. He knew the man would be in chains before nightfall. In fact, he could see a squad of redcoats bashing their way through the crowded marketplace already. The man would either be hanged with all the others that had been rounded up at the end of the week or, if he was lucky that was, he would be taken to the nearest alley and shot outright. Addison didn't even dare to think what would happen if the inquisition got their hand on the poor fella. They were brutal in their methods alright. "But nobel is their cause" He reminded himself as he touched his right shoulder and lowered his head to show his faith to the approaching redcoats. He wanted to avoid getting hit in the face by the pummel of the squad leaders drawn bastard sword if possible. One of the men acknowledged him with a quick nod before continuing to yell to make way and beating anyone who did not comply. 

After leaving the busy market he turned right into a smaller street and made his way toward his hotel with quick strides. After another turn a grandiose building came into view. The "Grand Hotel" stood tall in the middle of the city and its ornamented facade seemed misplaced among the dull looking building surrounding it on all sides. Still its magnificence was undeniable and although expressionless on the outside pride welled up inside him while he crossed underneath the arches of the main entry. This was what the Empire stood for prosperity, progress, civilisation. Before imperial troops had landed on the shore of this godforsaken land the locals had lived like animals, in small straw huts, barely scraping by. The industrials had brought them work and all the wonders of these modern times and the Imperial office of justice had brought them order. 

He however, well he was here for a different purpose. As he paced through the grand entrance hall, he noticed a commotion by one of the service desks. A local, most likely a servant, had a lively discussion with a staff member of the hotel. He paid it no mind. Such altercations were commonplace, when foreigners discovered that the hotel would only serve guests from the empire. That was a given of course. Why would the crown build such an expensive hotel just to rent it out to some random local merchant or nobel who was so full of himself he was about to pop? 

Shaking his head William made his way up the stairs toward the suite he had confiscated for himself. He still vividly remembered the face of the pig of a man that had been in this room before reddening as the constable stormed in on him having his way with a petite local prostitute. Against his screaming protest the man was thrown out of the hotel for breaking house rules as prostitutes where not allowed on the premises of the establishment. A policythat was of course rarely enforced as most of the well off guests preferred to spend their nights in the company of local women. In this case however Addison needed a place to stay and flashing his badge of royal authority had quickly convinced the constables of the nearby police department as well as the hotel staff to clear him a room with all due haste.

He had even thought about reimbursing the angry banker until the man claimed to be related to the third prince. Squandering the name of the royal family even more one of the sons of his majesty chosen by the Lord above himself was unforgivable. The man would not live to see another sunrise, that William had made sure of.

As he approached the door of his room he noticed it was unlatched. Stopping dead in his tracks he drew his ornate pistol and thin rapier hidden underneath his coat. Had someone broken in? I'd couldn't bee room service. He had hung the red rope on the handle signaling he did not want his room to be cleaned. Pushing open the door revealed what looked like a crime scene. Knocked over pots, open drawers, someone had definitely searched his room. Wether they had found what they had been searching for remained to be seen. After clearing the attached bathroom he pushed open the door to the large bedroom and the view that presented itself froze the blood in his veins.

Slumped over the bed lay the lifeless body of a hotel maid her blood splattered over the pristine white sheets. From the bloodstained cover a trail of blood went over to the wall. Three words where written on the wall with her blood in crude bold letters and every single one of them shook him to the core.

"WE KNOW YOU"