Roughly midnight, no lights around the city except for a few torches used by the guards, mostly around the protective walls. A black figure passed through the night sky, flapping its pitch dark wings, and landed on my shoulder. I acknowledged its presence in silence and stood still in the shadows of the fetid alley. Two storeys high buildings blocked all the other ways out.

I slowed my breath and closed my eyes. I felt Crow slowly dissipating into a dark mist and surround my hand as the discreet thudding became louder in the night's silence. A guttural voice replied to a flat one, still in the street in front of the alley.

"Shut up! We need to be quiet". The man that asked for silence was also the one talking the loudest. "There's no one here" The other answered with his oddly flat voice as they turned to the alley. I smiled as Crow was right about them.

After nealy an hour in the alley, I controlled myself to wait just a little longer. Stepping over the mud ground, they headed to the back door of the tallest house, near the end. "Today, we have important stuff to do, so we better not call for attention, idiot"

"Yeah, but they didn't even tell us what it is" In black clothing, in the shadows, they didn't notice my presence as I barely breathed. "Know what would be really frustrating? If they called us and told to do common stuff" I stepped out of the shadow and followed them without making a sound.

"Oh man, it would be nice to do-" The fat short man with flat voice was stopped before completing his sentence and fell to the ground. His friend widened his eyes and nearly stumbled in surprise. "Shit! What the fuck!"

He was being way to loud. After I had hit the back of his friend's head with the pommel, I turned to him and leaned my body foward before jumping over, pushing him. "Argh!" His back hit the walls and I pressed my blade over his neck.

I could see his effort to avoid making any movement, even gulping. His haunted expression met my eyes and I made sure that he knew I was serious. For a second, he didn't even breath. As his legs were trembling, I was the one to speek first.

"I'm quite late, so you are going to make me a favor" He did not answer until I pressed my blade further into his skin, making a single drop of blood fall. "Am I clear?" He nodded, still barely moving, to avoid the hurting himself with the blade.

"Good, you are going to get me into The House"

--- P.O.V. of Bertrand ---

Took a deep breath and stretched my body before my eyes openned. The room was dim as its only source of light was a candle in the table, far from the bed. I turned my body to the side to look at the woman beside me. A rare beauty with flaming hair laid right next to me, a whore. The price I had paid was worth it as she had talent for her job. I caressed her soft hair, but she took a while to wake up again.

Smiling, like she was paid to do, she looked at me while raising her eyebrows to make a lovable expression. My hands got from her hair to her cheek and down to her neck. Something about her made me feel weak.

I used all my strength to press my hand over her neck as she widened her eyes and tried to use her arms to get free. I jumped over her and put my other hand on her mouth. Her screams came out muffled. She kicked me and tried to get her fingers to my eyes, but my arms were longer than her's.

It didn't take long for her to lose strength. I needed to be sure so I kept on going and going until her arms fell to the bed without life and her neck swelled. She was dead. I let go and turned to sit on the bed. She was dead.

My hands were trembling as a distorted smile formed on my face. The feeling of killing her made me close my eyes in delight. It was like an orgasm, a bitter drug that didn't last more than a minute. Her death made me feel.. powerfull, able to control life.

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

The feeling faded quickly, but I needed time to regain posture. My heart beat slowed down to normal rates and I openned my eyes. It was time for the preparations. I stood up while still slowing down my breath and adjusted my posture.

Stepping over the red rough carpet, I got to my clothing, just over the table. I like the color red, it reminds me of power. Simple pants and a white shirt with a black over-shirt and a dark brown belt, the perfect combination. I looked at the mirror. It was dark, but the dying fire of the candle gave just enough light for me to see my growing beard and weary eyes.

knock knock. I gave a last look at the mirror before turning around to look at the door. "It's open" I frowned to noisy creaking of the door as a bulky man, just taller than me, entered and bowed to me. Even in the dark, it was possible to notice his dark skin.

"Master, everything is ready". I adjusted my posture once again and took the red cloak from the table. I walked while wearing it. "Don't stand on my way, Ezras. Let's go do it already". He stepped to the side to open the way and let me pass before following just before me.

...

The great hall was illuminated by hundreds of candles on the chandeliers and tables. My men stood lined up on each side, waiting for me. When they saw me, they bowed in respect. I got to the end and two guards openned the doors.

A pentagram, a sigil was drawed over the ground of stone, painted in red with the blood of criminals. The night's breeze hit me while I looked up to the sky. Stars filled it as drops filled the ocean. Everything was bound to go right.

Taken from the tomb near the ruins of Melcraf, the sarcophagus was rectangular and stood over the magic runes. I noticed my men weren't moving. I looked back to see them waiting for me as they didn't know what to do.

"Ezras, activate the sigil" He nodded and called two others to help him, the only mages that worked for me. He gave them orders and they moved to oposite sides of the circular symbol. Both kneeled and pressed their hands over the dry blood and after a second, started their muffled constant rythm of singing.

Red fog spread through the lines, covering the sigil. The magic symbol responded with an eerie glow. I smiled. "Success. Tell them to open it now". Ezras gestured and a few men followed him. They were coutious while stepping over the pentagram. Can't blame them. Magic is not easy to find.

About five strong warriors grabbed the stone and started to pull it out to open the sarcophagus. Their effort was oddly useless. Ezras saw my discontent and ordered a few more men to help them.

They were specially strong and brutish, but needed minutes of effort to move it just a few inches. I narrowed my eyes. It couldn't be that heavy. I allways trusted my intuition, I put my hand on the cloak's pocket to hold a small blue crystal tight.

The stone's scribings shone in shades of wine. Crack. My eyes widened as I took the crystal out of my pocket and covered it with my aura. BOOM! Dust and pieces of rock were shoot at all directions Whoosh energy exploded from the tiny crystal, forming a transparent barrier in shades of shinning blue.

THUD! Thud. Thud. The projectiles hit the barrier and crumbled. Dust settled with the wind and the outside became clearer. The two mages were laid on the ground, few meters away from their original place while a body, covered in blood and dust, was just in front of my barrier.

I couldn't stop my frown. "The scribing were probably some kind of protective spell" The ground in front of my house was destroyed with holes in the stones and destroyed side gardens. Just the thought of how much damage it had already caused made my face red with rage.

When I was about to desactivate my barrier, I turned around after an abrupt sound of something hitting my barrier. A body, one of the men working for me. His clothings were drenched in blood and his head was nearly falling off, his throat ripped apart.

I covered my mouth with one hand and strengthened the barrier. "What in the name of the gods is this?" A figure stood exactly where the sarcophagus was before. He let go of it, letting another body fall to his feet.

The figure was a man in his 20s, with mid-length dark hair. He stood naked with his mouth full of blood. The body in front of his feet was dry, with excessive wrinkles, nearly showing the bones.

My eyes met the figure's and he showed a broad smile to me. "I have to thank you, Human. Sleeping for so long is quite a nightmare, if you know what I mean" his words sounded like jokes as he strolled my way. "I have to ask you another little favor, my great benefactor" 

He was dangerous. His attitude and the bodies on the ground were a sign of the beast he was. "I will take your silence as an approval. I just want food. It is not much to ask for" He sticked out his tongue to lick the blood around his mouth.