4:00 PM Eastern Meriany, Athens in the Gelden Continent.

The Golden Geri bar was especially lively this time of day. All throughout the bar, outlaws, common folk, and government officials danced gleefully under the influence of alcohol. Some sang, some screamed, while others tried to convince the few street girls in the establishment to sleep with them. A few succeeded and took their women to the second floor while many failed and could only continue drinking in shame. Booze would eventually lead to an obligatory round of rumors where people would talk about what news tainted the air or what treasure had recently been dug up in a far-off island.

Regardless of whose lips it came from, one name could be heard at every table. Bane Marius, The Inhumane Butcher.

"I heard he recently killed a Kitil!" One man said.

"Well I hear he slaughtered an entire battalion of S52 soldiers!" Another exclaimed.

A laugh tore through the rumors. "Bane? You really believe he's all that?" The man who had said this was a little chubby but obviously strong. He had messy brown hair and a killer look in his similarly colored eyes. He looked at his table mates with a smile "I've met the guy, he's nothing to write home about!"

One of his table mates laughed, "oh really, how'd that go?" He slurred, only half curious as to what his equally intoxicated friend was raving on about. The slightly chubby man grabbed onto a passing server and pressed against her. "I grabbed him from behind and did him like this!" He exclaimed, his voice much too loud.

The server quickly grew uncomfortable, her face twisting when she felt the drunkard on her, but she didn't act for fear of losing her job. She glanced at her boss from the corner of her eyes but he was pretending to have not seen her.

Plap!

The sound of hand on skin reverberated as the drunkard continued his performance, slapping the woman on her derriere. By now everyone had turned to look at him. Half the bar was cheering him on while the other half was too numb from their drinks to react.

Everyone sobered up upon seeing blood trickle down both sides of the man's face. The server, who was now on the verge of tears, pounced away as the corpse hit the ground with a small thud. 

Following the distinct sound of machinery, everyone's gaze turned to a man in robes at the edge of the bar. A hand mounted crossbow was pointed at the spot where the drunkard had been.

"W-What the hell!" The drunkard's table mate screamed as he stood up and brandished a beautiful iron sword. The robed man only glared at him from under his hood silently.

"Y-you're the Butcher!" The drunkard's friend continued, noticing the deep red eyes under the hood. His stance lost a bit of stability.

Despite this outburst, the man in robes didn't say a word, instead looking around the room silently. The drinkers were staring at him with either fear or apprehension, a few already tightly gripping the sword at their side. He ignored all of them and noticed a small dahlia that had fallen on the ground, it belonged to the woman who had been harassed earlier. With a small movement of his eyes he found her cowering not far from her aggressor's corpse, the Butcher could guess it was her first time seeing one.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

With a few gentle footsteps, he picked up the flower and walked toward her. Dexterously and delicately, he placed the flower back in her hair.

No one dared take a breath.

With that he turned to the door and left.

Only after a long few minutes did the tension in the air lighten. Many had resumed conversation as to forget the strange happenings of mere moments ago.

Mellie couldn't.

She stared at the corpse not far from her with a blank look. Adjusting the flower in her hair, she picked up the fallen tray of food and walked toward the kitchen.

…

Blood still stained Bane Marius' robe as he stood before the city's bounty board. His crimson eyes flicked from poster to poster, scanning names, faces, and numbers.

6 devis. 10 devis. 12 devis.

He exhaled, slow and measured. I can't stay in town long after that stunt. Shrug. Couldn't exactly let it happen either.

His next stop was the capital. The cost would be 7 deniel, a little steep.

The 6 devis bounty? A corrupt baron. The 10 devis? A Kitil prowling the nearby forest. The 12 devis? Multi-assassination request.

A devis was the standard currency of the Golden Continent. 1 devis equaled 20 deniel. A month's wage for the average citizen.

The Kitil might be the easiest. No telling what its specialty is, though. Maybe enhanced speed, maybe strength, maybe animal-like senses if I'm unlucky. Risky. But it's the only one I have the resources for.

Decision made, Bane tore the bounty from the board. He needed rest. One night at the inn, then he'd take care of the Kitil and be on his way.

With that, he turned, disappearing into the city's winding streets.

…

Deep into the night, Mellie still couldn't pull her mind from the day's happenings. She sat up on her bed and replayed the events in her mind. A man had tried violating her, but she had been saved.

What had one of the drunkards called him? Oh yes, the Butcher.

Butcher.

That word didn't match her savior at all. Despite his frightening appearance, his eyes had softened when he returned her flower. His hand was unbelievably gentle, as if making tremendous effort not to scare her. Though his methods were rash, he had quickly deescalated the situation by not engaging with the drunkard's friend, which could have caused a large commotion. He was swift and effective.

It made Mellie's head fill with questions. Why had he been so gentle? Why had this man, known for being a heartless killer, decided to help her? Was the Inhumane Butcher really all that inhumane?

She couldn't help but sigh at her inability to answer her own questions. Letting the exhaustion of the day take over, she adjusted the thin blanket that covered her and fell asleep almost instantly.