Chapter 1.

Fire. The clang of iron. Screams. Finally, silence. 

Only ashes remain. 

They say the gods are merciful. Full of love and understanding. Their words give courage and their sight heals sickness. So why are they unmoved when innocents are murdered? Why do murderers call themselves their emissaries? Why is blood shed in their name? Why am I the only one who survived? 

I don't want these gods. I renounce them. I will burn their symbols. I will curse their name. I will be the master of my own destiny. I will put an end to this injustice. I will not forget. I will not forgive. I will not spare.

And finally darkness. The last thing I smell is burned flesh and blood. I no longer hear screams or crying. I promised I would stay hidden. That I would survive. The wound on my chest seems to be pulsing, and my consciousness is fading. I will not die. I will not die. I will not die. I will not die until I avenge my loved ones.

Thoughts go silent. The wound stops hurting. I feel like I'm fading away. As if everything that makes me alive is disappearing into darkness. 

In a certain cave somewhere in the south of the Cursed Green forest located in the country of Loretan.

Plop. Plop. Plop.

The sound of water drops crashing against the rocks. Morning. Finally. From one nightmare to another. 

- a fucking dream. I mumbled, scratching an old scar. The same for 10 years. It would be nice to dream of a beautiful woman once. But no, let's serve trauma. A delicious breakfast. -

Despite the fact that 10 years have passed, I still haven't gotten used to this life. It's hard to call this cave a home. Well, it's the only one I have. Maybe it's not that bad.

-Frei!" A low voice of a tipsy man is heard. 'Where the fuck are you?' someone asked from a distance. -Braun... Leave me the fuck alone. I just opened my eyes," I replied irritably.- -If you don't drag your lazy ass over here soon, you'll be closing your eyes for good," he said.-

Ugh. Braun is a simple peasant, or rather a mass of muscle and a few brain cells who goes by a human name. He is a bastard, a scoundrel and an old bandit. But I owe him my life and I will never forget that.

-Okay... I'm going. I'm going. Be quiet now.-

I look at the clothes lying on the box with pity. I see old, worn-out rags in front of me. It's hard to call them clothes. Sometimes I wonder about the fate of the man who owned them before. I don't know his name, I don't know what he did for a living. All I know is that he was unlucky to find our cave. Braun took care of him. As always. Well, to survive in this world, you have to take lives. Such is the fate of outcasts. 

When I put on clothes, I think about the velvet robes I wore in my puppy days. Delicate shirts, fitted shoes, comfortable t-shirts.

- Frei!!!!! How long the fuck do I have to wait for you?! - Braun yelled. 

- I'm coming, dammit! - Well, he's obviously not in a good mood today. - I thought.

I find myself in a rather deep cave. Braun calls it a den. I would rather call it a shithole. The entrance is quite well camouflaged. The old man calls the forest in which we find ourselves a Cursed Green. It helps a little that cursed beasts roam this forest. We have learned to avoid them. We kill the weaker ones. But this scares the villagers. That's why they don't come here very often. And we have peace and quiet. Adventurers are a different story. These idiots go hunting here. They kill the beasts for their cores and valuable materials. Well, but we have methods for these assholes too. All you have to do is outsmart them, and that's not a challenge. Braun, despite being an asshole, is not heartless. He taught me a few rules. We don't kill if we don't have to. We only do it as a last resort. With theft... well. That's different. I don't want to brag, but I'm a master of pickpocketing. The old man always told me I had a talent for it. Although we can't enter the city because we don't have a permit, the surrounding villages are a different story. The easiest way to steal is from drunkards. An inn is the perfect place to hunt. Oh, an inn... I think I know what I'm going to do today.

While thinking about today's plans, I pass through the cave's corridors until I finally reach the deepest part of the underground. This is where we keep our loot. This is also where Braun and Benek live. 

Benek... it will soon be a year since we found him injured near a den of wild dogs. The adventurers did not make sure to kill all the animals. One survived. Although black wolves are only level 1 beasts, they should not be underestimated. Scholars would say it is foolish to raise one... but Braun could not pass by the injured puppy, who was left alone in the world. Come to think of it... Benny and I have a lot in common. Except that I don't piss in a cave. - I thought right after stepping in a puddle of piss with one shoe.

"Benny!!! You little shit!!!", I shouted angrily.

"Leave him alone!", Braun said. "You've been wetting the bed for two years since you arrived here", he concluded with a toothy grin.

"Shut up!!! That was over 10 years ago!!!", I shouted back, embarrassed.

"All right, all right, wimp. Enough about that," he said. 'I didn't call you for that. There's work to be done,' Braun said.

-"Tsk. I'm listening," I mumbled.

- I found out about a certain cargo that is heading for Agora, the biggest city in the area. I know from a reliable source that the cargo contains elemental stones and several magical items. What's more, it is a secret cargo. There are not many guards, and what's more, they are traveling disguised as pilgrims heading for the temple of Solar. - the old man said.

'Solar.' I cursed in my mind. And my wound started to itch.

 "More and more people join the pilgrimage as they pass through the villages," Braun added. "So it's no surprise that one more believer joins them. They will soon pass through Grodno. And that's where you come in, dressed all in white. You blend in with the crowd, get to know people, find carriers, get them drunk and steal whatever you can. And I have a buyer. After this job, we can move out of this shithole. We'll leave Loretan and go to another country. We'll pay the smugglers and go... to Atle, for example. Away from this life and away from the Inquisition. He said, looking me straight in the eye.

"You will be free, young man. You will start a new life. There, no one will hunt you down because of some made-up prophecy. Or because you were born under an unfortunate moon phase. You will start living." he said with a sigh.

"Braun..." I replied in a cracking voice.

"Shut up! I didn't raise you to be a wimp," he concluded harshly. "You know what to do, don't waste any more time and don't bother me. Get out of here."

"Fucking bastard..." I said quietly.

"What are you mumbling about?!" he shouted.

"Nothing... nothing," I said as I left the room. Benny, come here! I can use you. 

I went back to my place. I changed into something more comfortable and less suspicious. I had stolen them from a monk once. Now they will come in handy. It's time to leave and change my fate. Atla... I will start over there. I won't have to hide at every turn, I won't have to hide my abilities. There... people like me aren't stigmatized. I'll find allies. I'll become stronger. Richer. I'll be able to take care of that damn old man. And when he's safe, I'll start my crusade. A crusade against the gods and the inquisition.

I will not forget. I will not forgive. I will not spare.