It's a dark world out here, compared to the rest of humankind's history it's the best time to be alive but there's a darkness greater than ever, we die in a thousand new ways everyday, yet, the only way out is to fight.

Zedd is a victim of the darkness, his past was robbed from him, he was left with nothing, not even the memory of his past, but he had his sword, it was so precious to him, but came the day that it was also stolen.

By the side of a dirt road that leads to the city on the horizon, the city of Renston, Zedd pinned the thief to the tree with his dagger on his neck.

"Tell me where it is!", Zedd demanded angrily.

"I don't know, I swear!", the theif answered cowardly.

"You stole it, so how the hell you want me to believe you?"

"I sold it, it was a mage who cloaked himself in a shadow, I couldn't know who he was."

"A dead end, you're better to me dead."

"Wait, wait, I might know something."

"Out with it!"

"I know that he passed by Renston.", he pointed to the city on the horizon. "He might've slipped in to the city through the guards but I know someone who must know who he is, Gelmor, the boss of the red steel mercenaries, he won't sell you the information unless you have a ton of money, made a deal with him before or have worked with him, that's all I know I swear, now let me go."

Zedd slits the thief's throat, a shadowy figure appears floating behind Zedd.

"I warned you, I told you you mustn't spill blood for no reason."

"He could've told the mage that I am after him."

"The mage must already know that the blade is stolen, he must've known that its owner is after him."

"Even then, the thief stole my sword, this was retribution."

"Retribution? He didn't pull a dagger on you, he didn't even threaten you, and you killed him, if it was retribution then you would've took something from him."

"Piss off, the way you are is a proof of your faulty ways, so don't judge mine."

"This is just a waste of time, I am going to leave you."

"Yeah, yeah, piss off already."

"I am not coming back."

The figure disappears, Zedd turns back.

"Wait! Son of a bitch, I don't need him anyway."

Zedd's arrogance blinds him, he knows that, but his ego is too big to let off it, at night he doesn't sleep so easily anymore, he is troubled, afraid of death.

The sun rises, Zedd wakes up wobbling, half asleep half awake, he drenches his head in water to wake him up and heads away, he heads to the red steel mercs building in the middle of the city's busy district, despite it's location, it's nearly empty, Zedd enters, he doesn't see a soul, just signs, he follows the path to the boss's office, he knocks on the door and enters.

"What brings a young soul like you to me?"

"I want a job."

"And why? Do you seek glory? Wealth? Fame? Or are you just trying to get by anyway you can even if it involves killing your fellow humans, well, anyway, you'd want to be an adventurer, not a mercenary."

"No, I seek answers, information, I believe you have them, but I heard before I can pay the price I must work for you."

"Well, that's right, but who told you?"

"A dead man."

"I see, well, I see that you're young but I reckon you're old enough to do this job, where's your weapon?"

"I lost mine, I only have this dagger now, I don't like using it but it usually does the job."

"usually isn't what I am looking forward to, it must be always, how about this, you do me a job and I would grab you one of my spare swords."

"Deal, what's the job?"

"Without a weapon, I can't send you to fight, you must go the black blade forge and seek out the master smith Joann, I haven't paid him yet but I need my gear now, tell him he has to make the delivery before the end of the week."

"Alright, I will come back when it's done."

"Godspeed, kiddo."

Zedd heads south of city, near the guards's barracks he finds the forge, he searchs with his eyes for Joann, for the master smith, he sees a huge man, tall and buff, he approaches him.

"You must be Joann.", Zedd says.

"Who? Me?" The man says.

A dwarf butts in.

"You're mistaken young man, I am Joann."

"A dwarf out here, you're far from home." Zedd remarks.

"I am home, smithing is my life, wherever my hammer is, I am home, so what brings you here boy?"

"Gelmor, he wants his gear to be delivered this week."

"Can't do, first, we need the money, he wants the goods he comes and pays, second, we're short in hands, we can't deliver it ourselves so we need to run up the price, money we don't have."

"I can't do much, deliver this week or the deal is off, that's all I got."

"Wait, when you boss made the order he agreed to pay before delivery."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, the mercenary he sent to make the deal in his place agreed to it, so yeah, your boss agreed to that."

"I see, maybe I could have a word with the boss, but before, you promise me if I convince him in time to pay you give something."

"Well, a little something in return is better than the deal being called off, if you convince him, I will get you a chain mail armor."

"Alright then, I will come back when I am done."

Zedd heads back, he enters the office and he doesn't find Gelmor, he sits by the stairs as he waits.

A few hours go by, it's evening, Zedd had left a while ago to eat lunch and now he comes back, he finds Gelmor with his feet on the desk and a cigarette in his hand.

"So boy, how is your little job going?", Gelmor asks.

"About that, it seems you have agreed to pay before delivery, at least the mercenary you sent did."

"That son of a bitch didn't tell me, c'mon, let's head to the forge then we have to straighten somethings out."

Zedd heads back to the forge with Gelmor, the boss talks with the dwarf as Zedd waits outside.

"It seems we had a misunderstanding.", Gelmor says. "Here's a check, the money we agreed to plus the costs of delivery, I needed delivered tomorrow."

"Sure, your boy seems light on weapons, is he a mage like you or what?"

"Don't worry about that, I already got him covered, but anyway, I got a deal with you so we don't have any more misunderstandings, as you already know I have a mercenary organization, I don't just get my men jobs but I make sure they are ready for itz after all, the better off they are, the higher the rank of their missions, the more I earn from it, pretty simple, so I will be frequenting you, and for that I propose that I pay 25% when we make a deal, and the rest 75% when it's delivered, what do you say, deal?"

"Make it 30% and you got a deal."

"Deal."

Zedd stares at the void, but then, everything turn dark, alone in the world of shadows, a beam of light strikes him and turns him to ash.

"Hey, Zedd, Zeds!"

"Wait, what, oh, am sorry boss I might've dozed off."

"Let's go, time is money."

The two head off searching for particular merc, his name was Kol, he was originally a bandit who was known for his skills with the dagger that match that of an assassin, Gelmor knew where Kol usually hangs out with his former bandit friends, a lonely alley behind the dead rat tavern, Zedd and Gelmor find them playing dice.

"Scram off.", Gelmor orders Kol's friends. "I have come to talk with Kol."

The bandits go away without questions.

"You remember when I sent you to make a deal with the dwarf?", Gelmor asks Kol.

"Yes, boss.", Kol answers. "It was three weeks ago, right?"

"Yes, the dwarf said you agreed on my behalf to pay before delivery."

"He lied, I told him you're going to pay once delivered and he agreed."

"No, no, no, dwarves don't lie, Kol, but you do."

"Alright, alright, I did agree to it but why does it matter."

"You're no longer of the red steel mercenaries, on top of that, I don't want to see your face again around the city."

"What do you mean? You sent me to make a deal on your behalf, I did what I saw fit."

"The deal isn't a problem, the problem is you didn't tell me I was obligated to pay delivery, everybody around the city have no trust in me, but everybody and their moms know that no matter what Gelmor keeps his word, even if it isn't my word, well of course you can't attribute something to malice if it could be attributed to incompetent, but you're neither dumb nor incompetent, so I know for a fact you were trying to sabotage my business, now scram off."

"Fuck you Gelmor, you're dead."

Kol pulls out his two daggers and takes a fighting stance.

"Hold on there.", Gelmor says to Kol and turns to Zedd. "You still got your dagger?", Zedd nods and Gelmor turns to Kol and says. "If you defeat him, you don't have to kill him or paralyze him, if you make him fall on the ground just once, I will forgive your past actions and compensate for the annoyance by a sum of a hundred silver coins."

"Bring it on, kiddo.", Kol says to Zedd.

Just as he uttered his words, the dagger soars the air and pierces the skull of Kol, he falls dead immediately.

"I'd like to collect the compensation for myself.", Zedd says.

"Sharp, I like you boy, but I thought you'd use magic."

"I'd rather not use magic, I fear I become too reliant on it that when I can't use I can't do anything."

"I agree, that's why I arm myself with all types of magic items in case I can't use magic or I am out of mana."

"So you're a mage."

"Yes, I am, that's not something to be surprised of, most people get basic training on using magic, many choose to undertake a fighting that they complement with magic but half of them become mages, well, mages are two types, soorcerers..."

"Yeah, yeah, sorcerers who learn to use magic by practice and wizards who learn to use magic by study and record the magic they learn on grimoires which is the way the knowledge of magic."

"Pretty knowledgeable, I see."

"That's basic knowledge."

"No, not at all, for most people can't tell the difference, they are all mages in their eyes."

"Well, time is money, we're wasting money, don't you think?"

"Yes, let's get back to business."

"And the corpse?"

"I have to write a report, don't worry about it, one of the reasons you work for me is that you don't get bothered unless you actually break the law, remember, we mercs are shady, but we don't break the law, those are called outlaws, they do the samw job as us, but outside the law."

"Understood."

Back at the forge, Zedd had a vision, the golden beam of light, Zedd felt the presence of a paladin, a warrior priest who wields the holy light, "My day is over, I will deal with you next time, golden warrior."