We went into our regular work and being left alone I leaned in to whisper to morgan.

“we could leave ahead of schedule right? It’s only a few day's earnings, that wouldn’t stop me from being able to leave right?”

[morgan] “yeah, but we should still get it done. Best to have more. Besides, we’re not under a great time pressure.”

“maybe, but I wouldn’t want to be unprepared. When we get back we should get the coin purse ready… just in case”

[morgan] “what? Does a skull paint job scare you? You a big bad and capable magic wielding monster?”

“I’m sure there’s more to this one, it’s... I feel sure it’s more dangerous than you believe.”

[morgan] “well even still, it doesn’t matter as long as he isn’t after us. Now back to potions.”

I nod and before long we’ve made our potions, our speed at brewing having increased to just shy of the fastest possible. Our movements well coordinated and synced up to each other.

A brief visit with mylia and her children, letting them know that I’ll be leaving but morgan should still be around as she takes over the potion brewing that we started together. Morgan of course talking as I was free to hear it or focus my thoughts on anything else. Oddly, a welcome aspect of being the silent one in our pairing. Before too long we were back at our room, much of money siphoned off by the regular expenses.

“does this place cost a lot? To keep using as we have”

[morgan] “yeah it costs a fair bit, it’s the private room that’s so costly”

“ah, and that’s definitely important to have.”

[morgan] “well it’s better to have you not going crazy. Well, maybe we didn’t avoid it if you’re all scared by that skull paint bounty hunter” giving a giggle.

“Right. How does bounty hunting work though? Is it always to kill the target or does one sometimes take them alive? Plus, how do you deal with the authorities between the different countries?”

[morgan] “I don’t know, I mean I think the alive or dead part is taken care of by the contract or bounty but the details are beyond me.”

“what do you mean they’re beyond you? Don’t you know how things work among your own kind?”

[morgan] “are you forgetting that I’m from the same town as you?”

“I, well… alright that’s a fair point. Your family didn’t tell you about it though?”

[morgan] “well I’m not sure there was much reason to know all the ins and outs of that and besides, it’s not like my mom knew everything about countries outside of or own. Hells she didn’t know everything going on in our country before it was conquered. So no, I don’t know much about bounty hunters or bounty hunting.”

“well, that’s unfortunate I guess. Would like to know why that bird helmet one is here”

[morgan] “i’d guess for the thief we’ve been seeing posters of”

“maybe. Even still, something is off about it… it doesn’t move like all the soft-skins.”

[morgan] “well he is supposed to be a raven folk, so maybe being part bird makes him weird in comparison?”

“maybe, the purse is ready?”

[morgan] “yeah, just gonna make it hidden and secure for tomorrow. Don’t want it to be stolen after all”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“alright… do, do you think my kind are inherently evil?”

[morgan] “not now. Get some sleep, we have just a couple more days gramps”

I wave off her last remark and settle in for my sleep. The next day starts fairly normal, or what had become normal for us. Waking up and rolling out of the bed. Putting on the many layers of my disguise before walking down to the lower level next to morgan. Our disguise already in use. Soup and bread consumed before we walk out the door. The faint smell of a spice I didn’t know the name for, dust passing by our boots in light amounts and a hot blazing sun already drying us out despite it being morning. The various scents of the city coming to focus as we pass through each part of the city on our route. A general though weak smell of their filth, overpowered by the bakers fresh bread or mylis’s cut fruits and veggies as we pass by their stores. A milling of bodies with different sizes, shapes, and colors. All moving like multiple streams of water coming together from different directions. The faded poster of the thief showing on the wall near me. The human’s wide, bragging grin. A reward of 100,000 gold. Something that easily dwarfed what mine was. Morgan moved along without a care, was she happy that I would be going?… yes, of course she would. I am a warbug, I’m the enemy to her. That had to be why she was feeling happy, after all it wouldn’t be something like having nice weather would make her happy, right? Her kind we weird like that though, would complain about the most pointless things. Be so focused on what wasn’t in their power to change.

As we rounded a turn in the road, about five buildings from our destination I saw, it. Saw him, the bounty hunter clad in a white painted skull on a bird-like helm, the eyes hidden from sight behind the shine of glass.

[morgan] “ok damn, talk about looking dramatic.”

The manhunter stood, head above the crowd looking at us, at me, and her and then us… I was never one to believe in a reaper, in a supernatural entity taking lives and moving the souls into the after-life. Still, looking at him, the hood and cloak over the black armor with white skull paint definitely made him look like one. I saw him move, the cloak rising and falling with the rest obscured by the crowd around him.

“we might need to run”

[morgan] “w-whoa grandpa your throat must be dry hehe”

There was a cry, someone in the crowd yelling and in seconds the entire crowd parted. Body after body shifting away in such unison as to make a commander envious. Down the open street now he stood, his back bent feet in specially made boots visible at last, as well as his two blades wielded in each hand. He was walking to us, stalking us.

“I think he’s after me”

[morgan] “you can’t go anywhere while he’s running you down”

“i’ll lose him first, just hand bag to me”

[morgan] “fine, and good luck” said as she pulls the coin purse out from within her clothing and hands it to me.

As soon as the coin purse lands in my hand the manhunter rushes towards us, startling morgan enough to make her run as I do likewise. My pulse skyrocketing as I turn my back to this ominous stranger. I rush down one street as morgan runs down another, I look back to see how close the manhunter is to me, how fast they are and if i’ll have a chance to get away. My dread building as I see him moving so quick, racing me down down and- Turning?! Wait… he’s after morgan!? I look around, I… I could go, I have the funds. It’s what I should do, it’s what would be proper of a first born. To fight the enemy, to seek their destruction and victory above all else… all else. What would I be if I did that? What more than a first born?

Would it even be an option though, could I get to her in time? If I took a parallel street, wracking my mind as to how it could be done, to where I would need to make the turns. I had it, there was a way… maybe, just maybe I would make it. My mind having worked in precious seconds what would have taken a minute before if not more.

I had a choice, what was I? No, who am I?