Casper spent several day making his necessary preparations. It was a long and drawn out process but a necessary one in order to ensure that his plan worked well and without issue. He hadn't yet let Annabelle in on his intent here on the city, and that was for three primary reasons.

One, in the event Annabelle's brashness and brazen disregard for anything close to subtlety persisted into conversation, it would only be added risk for her to know of his plans. It is possible that in one of their nights of drinking she let it slip, or in an attempt to intimidate someone who had wronged her, let leak some important detail.

Two, because Annabelle owed him a life debt, one that Casper had no desire to uphold or fulfill because the notion was foolish and outdated, and if he frustrated Annabelle enough, he hoped she may just leave.

And three, because he was lazy, and had been concocting the details of this plan for quite some time, and simply didn't have the energy to explain it all in a way for someone else to understand.

Casper also had taken care to keep an eye on the activities of the thief responsible for stealing his money and weapons. He was admittedly getting slightly frustrated, as the individual was particularly difficult to track down. This of course was a problem, given that Annabelle's leftover money from all her purchases on the first day was all they had left, which bought them about a week and a half of time.

Casper was curious as to why Annabelle didn't have any more money on her, given her stories of banditry she told it would appear that she had made quite the sum, but Annabelle had said with quite the fury, that a member from her party had ran away when the hunter appeared, taking all of the money and goods from the camp and leaving them to die.

As the time left on Casper's room here at the end was coming to a close, and he wasn't too much closer to catching this thief in the act, he groaned with the realization that he may not have the chance to do things the way he wanted.

"Could always just track them down, and break in. I saw your strength against the hunter, you could easily force your way through any door I'm sure. Confront them directly where ever the hideout may be" Annabelle offered.

Taking a drink from her glass, she wiped a slight trickle away from her lip with her thumb in a very simple act that Casper found quite erotic.

Casper poured himself another drink and took a sip, pondering the possibility as he felt the warmth of the drink work its way through his stomach.

"I suppose i could. It isn't particularly tactful but given we are short on time…"

"Exactly" Annabelle pointed a finger at Casper, leaning forward slightly in a way that Casper had grown used to seeing, but never tired of seeing. He was slightly, intoxicated, so he allowed himself to gaze longer at those breasts of hers that seemed to desperately want to spill from her loose fitting shirt all over the table.

If Annabelle noticed, she didn't mind, though the more likely possibility was that she didn't notice, as Annabelle was far too focused on trying to convince Casper to go in guns blazing, for the sole purpose of possibly seeing some combat after a week and a half of idle city life.

For all her talk of enjoying the city, her tune changed rather quickly after realizing the fighting pits didn't accept women, and there weren't any monsters worth fighting anywhere close to the cities wall.

"I think you go in, grab your shit, and walk out. No one is going to stop you" She continued.

"Hmmm…i suppose your right, but I need to stay low still"

"You keep saying that, and you keep reminding me to tell folk that I don't know you, yet here we are drinking in the tavern floor and sharing a room together"

"I am consistently inconsistent" Casper admitted.

"Just saying that isn't an excuse!"

"Sure it is"

"Fuck ooooff" Annabelle laughed as she downed the rest of her drink.

"Alright alright, ill probably do it your way then. For now though, I think its high time we went to bed"

"Fine, buzz kill" Annabelle reached over to finish Casper's drink with a sly smile, but only received a scowl from Casper in return.

The two headed up to their rooms. On Casper's insurance, they had rotated bed use, for two nights he would use it, and for two night Annabelle would. Annabelle of course refused initially, but Casper was able to frame it as keeping her in good condition, and keeping Casper from getting too comfortable and losing his edge, which was a shitty lie but in line enough with Annabelle's predisposition to agree to anything that had to do with combat enough to work.

Tonight was Casper's turn for the bed, though before he could fully settle himself in, movement from outside his window caught his attention.

Taking a moment, to let his slightly hazy vision focus, Casper watched as a lone figure made its way to the stable where their horses were being kept. Keeping an eye on the movements. They appeared to be casual enough, nothing worth drawing suspicion, but still Casper channeled the mark to watch the movements more carefully.

In, out, slow.

In, out, focus.

The burning sensation began to numb at the edges of the mark and he allowed the marks power to work its way through to his eyes and ears. His senses hype focusing on the movements of the figure down by the stables.

He watched, impressed, as the figure deftly stole from each and every saddle bag, their movements seeming to be delayed almost, as if the action itself was happening after the movements. In fact, as Casper looked more closely, there was a small fraction of magic at play here. Only inches off the surface of the figures small hands, there was a faint shimmer, as bags opened without any contact actually being made.

This was the one responsible, the one who stole his equipment. It must be, the use of minor magics would be the only explanation as to how he didn't feel them take his belongings, or how they could take the belongings from every so slightly too far away.

"I'm heading out" Casper announced, moving to the window and jumping out, landing softly on the grass in the clearing space, and then quickly ducking into the shadows as he watched the figure finish the theft.

Casper followed the thief for quite some time. The thief was being careful for certain. Even though Casper was confident in his own stealth despite his intoxicated state. The thief still took extra care to twist and wind and double back. This was a very good thief. A very practiced thief.

Eventually however they let up. And began a more casual path, confident now they had lost any prying eyes on them, and walked through the back alleys and Into the Toff district. The section of the city nearest the eastern wall, lower than the rest of the city causing it to build with dirty water and mud, grime and refuse. The buildings here are packed tight against each other. With tents and makeshift hovels built off the structures like fungus to a tree. Cheap whores worked the muddy streets. Calling out to the vagabonds and downtrodden and drunkards who stilled wandered the streets late at night. Thugs and small gangs were tightly packed into the space openings or in alleys or at the entrance to buildings illuminated by small fires. The whole place reeked of piss and old booze.

Casper wandered into slums, watching as the thief, his target, made their way quickly into an alley and down a cellar hatch between two dilapidated buildings. He knew where the thief was now, and could take his time, needed to take his time, as his vision was still hazy and ever so slightly spinning. He meandered through the slums. His old travel worn clothes helped him blend right in as he forced his way through people. Through the mud. Ignoring the calls of the women and the shouts and jabs and laughs of the men, making his way down the alley and over to the cellar.

The cellar doors themselves were locked. No issue to Casper though. He grabbed at the lock and felt the heat run down his arm. In a quick squeeze the lock shattered in his fingers and he opened the door.

Entering the cellar and down a set of stairs, he closed the door behind him. The stairs then led to another set of doors set in the wall, down a brief hallway. He sighed. And strained his ears. He could hear the sounds of people behind the door, only a few though. He approached the door and listened in. It was difficult to make out the words specifically even in his heightened state, as the effects of the mark and booze worked against each other, but he counted 5 unique voices, some older some younger, hard to tell. And there would only be one way to find out.

Casper wanted to give the thief and those inside a chance, after all, stealing was not a crime he thought deserved any serious punishment. It's not as though they had hurt him, and he saved a bandit who had done much worse. Then again he was feeling generous then. And now he was curious, sure. But also quite annoyed, and more than a little drunk. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

The room beyond went painfully quiet. He knocked again. Silence. He knocked harder, his patience running thin now. Just as he was about to break down the door, a voice came from the other side. A woman's voice, hard and sharp

"You best get goin before you get hurt." It said, Casper could hear the sounds of shifting feet from beyond.

"Very well can't do that I'm afraid, one of yours stole some things of mine and I plan on getting them back." Casper pressed one hand against the door "now you can open up and ill get what's mine and be on my way. Or ill break this door down myself and take everything of yours."

"Id like to see you try! The female voice said in reply. Her tone harsh and full of hate "if you don't leave right now we'll cut you apart-" her words faded. Casper's patience was already thin, and now he was fresh out. He told himself he would give them a chance, and he did. But he had business to attend to and whoever these people were, were making it difficult to get that business done.

Casper channeled the heat through his body, and the door shattered into splinters into the room. Two blades came at him from either side of the freshly broken door, but he ducked down swiftly. His foot crunched into the stomach of one of the attackers at his left, and his fist drove into the stomach of the other on his right.

Casper grabbed the knives from the air before they hit the ground, and ducked in and sprinted forward. The woman who had been calling out to him had brought her hands up to shield from the fragmented wood headed her direction. Casper drove his shoulder Into her, slamming her against the far wall. He felt the air leave her as he drove harder into her stomach. Her body collapsed to the ground. Sucking for air. An arrow came flying from a shrouded doorway aimed clear at his head. But the world was slower for Casper, and it felt to him that the arrow was traveling at a snail's pace. He dropped one knife and grabbed the arrow from the air. Stopping it inches before his face. His eyes flicked to the side, a flash of metal almost hitting him in the side of the head, but he ducked down just in time.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Twirling the knife in his other hand, he almost drove it into the attacker's stomach but stopped himself. It was a young boy. No older than 13. His face wrapped with rage and fear as tears tumbled down his cheeks. The boys blade switched and came back down on Casper.

Casper dropped the knife in his left hand and grabbed the boy's wrist. Gripping it tight and slamming it against the cobbled walls, causing him to scream out in pain.

The familiar cloaked figure then came at him from the right. The one who had shot him with the arrow. They charged at Casper, and he brought his arm up at the last second, grabbing their throat and stopping them dead in their tracks

The boy was struggling against Casper's grip in his left hand, the other cloaked figure straining against his fingers in his right hand. The women below him, now pinned under his knee as he tried to figure out what to do.

His patience was thin but he wasn't a child killer. Not unless he had to be. The woman he had pinned under his knee brought a hand up, her fingers grabbing at Casper's shirt

"please….spare them" her voice croaked out under the weight of Casper's body on top of her. He held the two attackers in his hands still. Both struggling. The woman looked to them "stop fighting...please. please stop" she begged them, and turned back to Casper "I'm sorry. We are sorry. Please have mercy...please I beg of you" she was almost crying now, and the bodies in his hands stopped trying to fight and only struggled against the pain.

Casper released them. The boy pulled away and grabbed at his wrist crying. The cloaked figure fell back, the hood falling away revealing the face of a younger girl. Surprising, Casper thought.

He stood up from the woman, and sucked in air as he looked around.

Seeing that everyone was alive and well, the older half elf woman on the ground turned and rested her head down on the floor, her body prostrate against the ground "thank you. Thank you for your mercy"

Casper spat on the ground. What a pain in the ass. Looking around the room he was grateful he didn't kill anyone. Aside from the woman who was on the floor in front of him, the attackers, everyone in the room. were either women or children or both. The two by the door had been a young boy and slightly older girl, 15 or 17 he couldn't tell. The boy who's wrist he had grabbed must have been no older than 13 at best and the girl who had stolen his belongings was also young herself, though hard to tell specifically, as it often was with half elves.

"I'm sorry we stole from you. Please. You must understand we are poor and and hungry. We'd be taken away and sold as slaves were we to leave, we are only trying to survive. We will give you anything you want, please" the woman was begging now. She herself looked only to be in into early adulthood. "Take me if you must. Just leave the others be, please" she sounded almost on the verge of tears, as were most of the others in the room as Casper stood there. Pondering what he wanted to do.

Of course he wanted his things back, but he very well couldn't take from these people. It seemed true enough what had been said. Everyone here looked as though they hadn't eaten a solid meal in days. Casper glanced down at the girl who had robbed him. She had a skill...and a very good one at that. A very useful skill he thought to himself.

"Ill take what was stolen from me" he said. Getting the woman to mostly shut up and stop the begging. "And I won't be taking you. These others clearly need you"

the woman. Looked up at him. Her eyes filled with tears "thank you!" She began saying

"but ill be taking her" he pointed down to the thief and the woman's eyes went wide with horror, though the thief sat their silent.

"i can find a good use for her. I'll take those two things and I'll leave"

the woman sounded as though she was about to protest but the thief spoke up first

"please don't fight him again, I will go" she said.

Casper turned to look at her. The thief seemed on the verge of crying. Her body shaking from fear but she held a strong expression well enough

"no! You have to do no such thing!" The women shouted. Looking to Casper "please take me instead, please"

"I have no use for you" Casper walked over to the table where he saw his things. Grabbing the coins and his weapons.

The thief ran over to the woman and hugged her "I will be strong, I promise. Please. Don't fight him again. The others need you."

Casper began walking out the door "lets go" he called back. And the thief broke the hug, her body still shivering as she ran up to Casper.

The mark was, at its core. Power incarnate. When Casper channeled the heat he could do incredible things. Magical things even. With only the slightest amount of energy. Channeling only the smallest amount of the mark he could fight scores of men. Tear down trees, travel great distances, See and hear things no one else could. For only a miniscule amount of energy, he could be the most terrifying person in the entire kingdom. But with that power came the loss of control. When Casper channeled the mark, he lost control. The more of the mark he calls Upton the more bloodlust he feels. The harder it is to stop himself. The more ruthless he becomes. The harder it is to stop the mark. Its primal, animalistic, devoid of logic or reason.

Now for example. He had just taken a girl. As the heat left Casper's body he was left wondering what the hell he had just done. It took everything in his body to not take both of them and kill the others. But even the fact that he took one was a great surprise to him as the effects went away.

The girl was shivering. The fear palpable through her entire body as Casper guided her down the roads back to the tavern and inn. He had already said it. He had already taken her, and it was too late to go back now. Even if he said he didn't want her any more they would likely think it a trick or a ruse. In fact he had even removed his hand from the girl but she stuck next to him regardless.

She didn't even try to run.

"I've changed my mind, you can go" He said, walking casually back to the inn.

She didn't say a word, so Casper looked down at her to make sure she had heard him.

"I said I've changed my mind, I don't want you. Leave" he put some more force behind his words, causing the girl to wince but not break step.

"please…I promise I can be useful to you, you promised not to hurt the others, for me. I can't return…"

Casper wondered if this was another one of those "life debts" that was now owed to him, a troublesome notion.

Even though Casper had meant it, he really didn't want her, He had said and done something reckless when the mark took over and he was stuck with it now. Explaining any of this to Annabelle was going to be a pain.

Casper and the thief walked into the room. Annabelle, still wide awake and waiting for Casper's returned. She took a look down at the thief who followed him in, and her face turned slightly red as a sly smile worked its way across her lips

"Ah, I see, Would you like me to wait outside?" Annabelle began.

"That isn't what is happening"

"Bringing a strange young girl into our room late at night and you expect me to think otherwise?"

"Yes, this is the thief" Casper tried to quickly remove the potential line of teasing from Annabelle by being as boring and straightforward as possible, he was profoundly tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Casper motioned to the thief, and used this as an opportunity to actually take a closer look at her. She looked young, but he also noticed the small points near the tips of her ears. Clearly she had some half elf blood, so she very well could be over 30 and still look young. Her frame was thin, hidden under a layer of ill-fitting clothes. She seemed to have almost a little patchwork of leather or quilted cloth to act as a small amount of armor. Her face was round but also slightly angular, likely the elf blood in her. She had large, slightly slanted eyes, and short hair for a girl, about shoulder length and messy, likely done herself with a blade.

As Casper looked her over, she was clearly very uncertain. She looked between a place of being scared, her eyes wide and her lip quivering as she noticed him looking her over. Her neck was still red from where his hands had gripped her. But she looked like she was trying her best to act strong. To appear useful. To her, probably, if she didn't feel useful she would be discarded, or even killed. Women were 2nd class citizens here. No one would notice her gone especially a woman thief. Even more so a half elf woman thief. Aside from slaves or monsters she was as close to the lowest you could get before being considered a pure object. If she didn't prove herself to Casper. She likely thought she would simply be killed.

Casper of course wondered why she didn't just leave or try to run, but the realization that this girl likely thought running would be seen as betrayal, which would bring with it punishment. Maybe she thought it was all a test which meant there was no way Casper could explain any of this and have her believe it.

"What's your name" he asked her matter-o-factly. She jumped a little at his sudden speaking but tried to hide her fear. "Elisayra" she said. Her voice trying to sound confident but wavering quite noticeably "sir…" she followed up with.

Casper felt that if she felt inclined to call him that he would let her. He reckoned she knew the proper manner to address a man More So than he did, and if he wanted to stay unassuming in the city he found it best to just go with it, and besides, he was tired, so very tired.

"Elisayra, how old are you"

Elisayra in this moment began to panic, as there were many ways to consider answering this question. She stood, running through the number of possibilities in her head worth considering. Elisayra of course didn't know her age, as she had stopped counting birthdays some time ago.

Elisayra had lived in this city long enough and seen enough to know that there was a subgroup of people who enjoyed children. Being with them intimately more specifically. If this man was one such person, then stating she was a child would be seen favorably, it was possible then she would be free from the threat of death and torture and instead be used in that way.

There was also however the possibility that he was not one of these people. In which case stating she was a child would mean she was sexually useless and could also easily be discarded, or killed. However, that would be a waste she thought.

She had yet to prove anything to this man, but he had singled her out, and remembered her from when she had stolen something from him. If he saw her skillset as useful, and she was a child, its possible that she would be kept in good condition until she was an adult.

Weighing the options carefully, she determined that the most likely course of action to ensure she was kept away from any torture instruments, or worse, dogs. She had once seen a young girl fed to dogs and it was gruesome and terrifying. It still gave her nightmares.

"I am an adult"

A curious answer Casper thought, one he didn't totally buy given the sheer amount of time it took her to answer that.

"And how long have you been a thief?" he asked.

"Since I could walk and talk…" she hung her head in shame

"I want you to steal something from me" he pulls his cloak back to reveal the dagger at his hip. Do what ever you want to take it from me, so long as I don't notice when you do so"

She seemed conflicted and confused "are you sure? I dint wish to steal from you sir"

"Steal from me. If you don't try ill be upset. Try and take the dagger from my hip without me knowing"

Elisayra nodded, and with a great deal of hesitation began to pace the small room around Casper. Casper made sure she kept away from getting too close. Her footsteps fell with practiced quiet. As she tried to approach he would step away and listen to her frustrated exhales. She continued to pace him and Casper continued to watch and listen, now that he knew it would be coming there was no way for her to actually do it without him knowing, but he wanted to see just how good she was.

Just then, She let a knife drop from her sleeve and took a leading step at Casper. She thrusted the dagger out, aimed directly at Casper's throat.

Annabelle appeared to have read the movement slightly faster than Casper, clearly not nearly as drunk any more. "Look out!" she shouted, grabbing her own sword from the ground and bringing it around, taking one lunging step towards Elisayra. Casper spun around, grabbing Elisayra in his arms and tossing her to the side out of Annabelle's strike. The great sword was still in the air, a wide arc now aimed directly at Casper who has taken the thieves place in the small room. Annabelle tried to slow the swing but it was too late, the momentum was already there and there was no stopping the swing. Annabelle's eyes went wide as she realized what was about to happen.

In, out, slower.

In, out, stronger.

Casper brought his arm up to meet the blade. His palm facing outward. He shifted his feet on the ground to stabilize his position and pushed the edge of the blade away from him. The arcing sword missing Casper by a hair's width, and instead cut a deep gouge Into the ground. Casper also noticed, as he was grabbing Elisayra, she had stolen the blade rather successfully. He almost didn't notice it. Almost.

With the sword lodged into the floorboards, Annabelle's eyes went wide with realization of what she had just done. What she had almost done.

"Forgive me!" Annabel collapsed to the ground, landing on her knees and dropping to her hands and staring down at the ground, her eyes wide. "I thought- Please you must understand, I did not mean to put you in harms way. sincerely I ask for forgiveness"

Casper sighed. "Stand up" he said to her. And she obeyed, Annabel shot upwards and back to her feet

"don't you think that attacking the person I had just asked to make an effort to steal from me without considering it was part of her plan was a dangerous policy"

"Truly I am a fool" she lowered her head "I once again owe you much. My debt to you grows more now, please, I understand if you do not wish for-"

"You're forgiven...just, don't attack people at random. Unless I tell you to…"

"You are far too kind to me. Thank you" she bowed and stood back up straight. And looked over Elisayra.

Casper conducted the introductions. Elisayra seemed to take in his words carefully, sizing up Annabel. After he had finished the introductions, even going into how he had ended up meeting with Elisayra, Annabel gave no reaction other than understanding. It would appear Casper's actions were not that extreme at all. Normal in fact. Which was both troubling, and annoying.

"She will be helping me out as well from now on, so be sure to get along as best you can"

The both agreed. Looking to Casper for his own approval, to know that he had seen them. "Good" he replied.

"Now I'm very tired, Elisayra, please make yourself comfortable wherever you'd like on this small floor, I am going to bed."