Nez was sitting at the top of the inner city wall, like countless other times. The weather was nice and he had nothing to do, so he decided to bask in the sun.

He yawned, exposing his pointy canine teeth. If there were any other person there with him, they'd probably whisper a quick prayer before taking their distance.

Not that Nez minded. He liked to be left alone, and the people he made business with tended to tolerate his otherworldly features.

In front of him there was the upper district, with many shops and nice houses. That's where people with money lived or spent their time. A place where he wasn't allowed to go.

Behind him, the rest of Yronburg. Nez lived there for over three years now, although he went unnoticed to most of the inhabitants. After all he was often in the slums, so the chances to run into the average citizen were pretty low.

But Nez didn't climb all the way up to longingly stare at the shiny side of the city. He was looking way past the outer walls, towards north, to the not too distant border between the Temenin Alliance of independent cities and the Kingdom of Enerya.

It started a couple weeks ago. At first Nez heard the stories, like anybody else. The Kingdom was having trouble with a rampaging storm elemental that seemed to have come out of nowhere. It was on everyone's mouth, the latest news to spread over the Three Nations. But then, soon after, Nez saw the clouds.

From his usual spot he could clearly see the perpetual storm that was plaguing the Kingdom of Enerya. On tranquil nights he could also hear the faint rumbling of thunder.

And to everybody's surprise, some anonymous source claimed that the King himself was behind it. It was a real mess of a situations.

Nez clicked his tongue. “Sucks for them” he muttered under his breath. As long as the storm elemental didn't reach Yronburg, there was no real problem for him.

“Hey, you!”

A shout reached him from below. A guard on the upper district side was waving his pike. “You can't stay up there! Come down at once!”.

Looking down at the guard, Nez pierced him with his bright yellow eyes and his slit pupils. “I'm terribly sorry, sir” he replied with a relaxed expression. “I got lost”.

At that sight, the guard gasped and started trembling. “Devil Touched” he said in disbelief. Taking a step back, he grasped his weapon more firmly.

So dramatic.

Nez rolled his eyes. There was no need for such a scene. He was clearly just chilling up there, and if he wanted to trespass into the upper district he would have already done so. Lucky for the people over there, he wasn't keen on terrorizing the common folk.

“Keep up the good work” said Nez with an encouraging smile. Then, with superhuman agility, he leapt back over the wall and landed on the top of a tree.

He was used to that kind of stuff. Actually, it wasn't even close to be the worst interaction he had with normal humans.

Nez was still young, only recently having turned into an adult, but throughout his whole life he was met with hostility, fear, and hate because of how he was born.

Not that he asked to be like that. Nobody asked to be born a Devil Touched. It simply happened. And because of that, Nez was abandoned in the streets when he was very little. He was so young he didn't even remember his parents. They just left him to die in an alley.

But he survived.

Like all the other Devil Touched, Nez had to live as an outcast. No respectable person wanted anything to do with an accursed child.

Being a Devil Touched meant being marked as a malign and dangerous individual. Everyone believed that only those destined for evil were born like that.

And for all that Nez knew, they might have been right. He for sure hadn't been a saint in the past. He wasn't proud of many things he did. Although, from time to time he wondered if he would have gone down that path if he was given the chance at a different kind of life.

That was anybody's guess.

After climbing down the tree and finally setting his feet on the ground, Nez strolled down the road towards the slums.

As he was making his way back, Nez had to admit that being the lowest of the low in all of the Three Nations had a perk: no matter how big of a crowd he encountered, it would part ways like he had the plague. He never had to worry about bumping into people a single time.

By this time Nez was used to the stares he constantly got, so he payed no mind to the attention he garnered while walking. Actually, until he got up close it wasn't easy to distinguish him from a regular human. If it weren't for his eyes and teeth... and maybe his slightly unsettling mannerism... there would be nothing unusual about his looks.

Nez even made an effort to keep a normal haircut.

“If it isn't the man himself” said an approaching figure.

It was a middle aged man with a balding head.

“What do you want, Mich?” asked Nez, refraining from groaning. He didn't like that guy.

Mich clapped his fat and dirty hands together. “You know I only seek to give you the best jobs in town”.

He couldn't be any sleazier if he tried.

Nez shook his head. “The kind of job you offer is not in my style” replied with a sly smile. “It's more trouble than it's worth”.

It was true that Nez had a set of skill that many would consider shady, at the very least, but it didn't mean he wanted to be involved in highly illegal activities.

Small jobs that were at least sort of morally justifiable was what he specialized in. Retrieving a lost or stolen item, getting rid of a stalker, finding the right person for the right needs... It was all done in the shadows, but in the end it was small stuff that was mostly overlooked by the law.

Nobody was going to get mad at him because some thug got beat up, or a smuggler got robbed. All he had to do is keep a low profile and not go too far. Simple.

And anyway, most of the time he ended up being a guide for reluctant merchants or sketchy dealers that were fine with having to deal with a Devil Touched.

If only Nez could get it through Mich's thick skull...

“At least hear me out” begged Mich, trying his best to sound desperate. “You are the only one that can do it. Nobody else”. He extended his hand towards Nez's shoulder.

Before he could even touch him, Nez had already unsheathed his dagger and pressed the tip against Mich's stomach. “You flatter me” said Nez, completely unfazed.

Mich froze. At first it was because of the weapon that threaten to pierce his belly, but then an unshakable terror crept on his face in front of the veiled coldness in Nez's expression.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

That was the look of someone ready to slice him up without batting an eye. And it was peeking out from a superficially calm and carefree face.

It was a contrast that struck fear and uneasiness into countless people.

Not like Nez was doing it completely on purpose. In a way, that is just how he looked. He seemed like a genuine devil in disguise.

“You know what?” said Mich, sweating buckets, while taking a step back. “I'm sure you're busy with more important stuff”.

“Say hi to the guys for me” replied Nez in a cheerful voice. He put away his dagger with a quick motion, hiding it almost completely under his light coat. “It's been ages since I saw them”.

Mich was already leaving. “It'll be done” he assured Nez picking up his pace.

What an amusing little guy.

----------------------------------------

From the other side of the street, in the shadows of an alley, Nez kept his gaze on the second story window of the house in front of him like a stalker following his prey. He was waiting for the man inside the room to go away.

It was an easy job, really. Get in, take some papers, and then get out. The only issue was that Nez didn't want to be seen, or half of Yronburg's guards would hunt him down like a dog. They needed but the smallest of excuses...

Not a problem, though. Nez just had to be a little patient. It was worth it to not attract attention.

Finally the man left the room, and Nez released a sigh of joy. He crossed the street and approached the house, making sure there was nobody around.

It was the perfect time for that kind of job. Most of the people were still working, and a large amount of the rest was preparing for dinner. The streets were almost empty.

More agile than a cat, Nez started to climb over the wall. He reached the window in no time, and immediately inserted a very thin sheet of metal in the middle gap of thee frame. With a flick of the wrist, the lock was open.

Easy peasy.

Nez got in the clean but scarcely furnished room. He figured that a moonshine brewer could afford more than that.

Waltzing across the room, he stopped behind a desk. He bent down and tapped his finger on a floorboard right beneath the chair, as instructed by his client.

It sounded like there was an empty space.

This is too easy, thought Nez. If he wasn't in need of cash, he'd never have taken that boring job. No security, no locks, no guards, no magic... That place was begged to be robbed.

“That dude is lucky I'm not here for his money” said Nez, pouting.

He applied pressure to a corner of the floorboard, and it came loose revealing a lot of neatly rolled parchments and binders.

Nez only took what he was asked to get: a scroll tied with a blue ribbon.

After placing everything else in it's original place, as to not leave any trace of his presence, Nez went back out the window and locked it hooking the latch with a metal wire.

“Hooray to me” Nez congratulated himself for a job well done, although he lacked any enthusiasm or satisfaction.

He supposed he couldn't expect much more in that part of the city. Only a few could afford serious security measures, and it was the kind of people it would be better not to mess with... without a reason.

But Nez had to admit that the lack of excitement meant he was successfully maintaining anonymity. The more he was ignored, the better. And stirring up too much trouble would have shined a spot light on him.

Nez shivered at the thought.

I'll take a thousand boring jobs, thank you very much.

He got the hang on ignoring his old cravings...

“About time!“ said a woman in an irritated tone. She had her arms crossed, and was repeatedly tapping the tip of her foot on the ground. “They told me you were a professional!”

Nez was shaken from his inner thoughts to find himself already at the meeting spot, behind a warehouse used by the major mining company of Yronburg.

He cocked his head to the side and gave the woman a puzzled look. “We were to meet after sundown... I'm early”.

He literally couldn't have been any faster. Actually, it was probably the fastest job he ever did. Maybe he should have asked for a raise...

“Don't talk back to me, you filthy Devil Touched!”

“It's useless to meet in a secluded location if you keep shouting like that” told her Nez with a shrug.

It was just common sense.

With a twitch of her eyebrows, the woman cautiously put out her hand. “Whatever. Now give me that document”

As soon as Nez took a step, she flinched.

“Slowly” said the woman.

Rolling his eyes to the sky, Nez did as she asked. “Here. Now you can take your revenge on you ex boyfriend”.

As if she didn't even hear him, the woman clutched the scroll to her chest. “That cheating bastard will be out of business in no time”.

She turned and started to walk.

“Ahem” called Nez to her. “I don't recall agreeing to do this for free”.

The nerve on that woman... She asked him to do her dirty work, and now she was trying to go away without paying him.

She turned with a scowl. “Why would I ever give money to a Devil Touched?” she said oozing with disgust. “It's not like you can tell anyone about it , and they'll help you”.

Nez chuckled. “You're right” he agreed, leaning forward menacingly. “If you didn't pay a Devil Touched like me, nobody would even frown upon it... But it would make said Devil Touched very upset”.

It finally seemed to hit the woman. She went pale and stuttered.

“Do you have any idea how easy it would be to find where you live?” Nez kept going, slowly opening up to a creepy smile.

“You wouldn't...” whispered the woman.

“Why not? I'm a Devil Touched after all".

Putting up the wicked act was always funny to Nez. It wasn't all act, anyway, but that was beside the point.

The woman took a pouch from her cloak in a hurry and tossed it towards Nez. “Here's the money. Now leave me alone”.

She pretty much sprinted away.

Going back to his relaxed expression, Nez took the pouch off the ground and looked inside it. There were a handful of silver coins.

“Thank you for your patronage!” he said cheerfully at the fleeing woman, waving his arm. “If you ever need me again, you know how to contact me!”.

He doubted she'd show her face again, but it was good manner to part ways with a client in a polite and uplifting way.

The sun was almost completely set. Nez had nothing else of importance to do.

Time to hit the tavern.

It didn't take him long to get to the Tattered Cart, the favorite gathering spot for the miners after a long day of work. Coincidentally, it was also where Nez found most of his jobs.

He sat down on the usual creaking stool, which one of those days would probably give away under his weight. “The usual” he said to the bartender while placing two silver coins on the counter.

“Coming right up, sugar” replied Dhana, the owner and only worker of the Tattered Cart. For a woman her age, she was handling everything quite well by herself.

She gave him a full cup of cider, filling it a little more than she should have.

“You treat me too well” Nez thanked her with a playful wink.

Dhana burst out in a laugh. “I'm sure you could use a little extra booze”.

The other patrons glared at Nez, and started chattering between themselves.

He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he was sure it wasn't anything nice.

“Don't pay mind to those jerks” said Dhana, sending a mean stare to the miners. “They are just ignorant and afraid”.

Maybe it was true, maybe it wasn't.

“I wish they could have seen a Devil Touched I met a couple of decades ago” Dhana began to tell. “She was the sweetest girl... Anyone would change their minds on Devil Touched simply by talking to her”.

That's some wishful thinking...

But if that girl eventually brought Dhana to be so friendly with him, then Nez thought he ought to thank her.

“But I'm not that sweet” said Nez after taking a sip. “If you knew the thing I've done...”.

He wasn't proud of many things from his past. Of almost nothing, actually. Even a kind soul like Dhana would shiver if she knew.

“I don't give a damn about who you were, sugar” Dhana replied placing her hands on her waist. “All I care is that right now you are somewhat of a good person... and you never even left a dent on a table in here” she added staring dagger at a group of miners.

Nez felt a little better.

Maybe his old self was really gone for good.

He smirked. “If you keep going like this, you'll make me blush”.

Dhana laughed again. “I'm only telling the truth. I mean, you could be much much worse. You could be like The Hollow”.

Setting down his drink, Nez gave her a blank stare.

She almost gasped. “Oh, sugar... Don't tell me you never heard of The Hollow” she said in disbelief. “It was that famous, ruthless assassin that died three years ago... Good riddance”.

Nez nodded. “Yeah, I heard about The Hollow” he said looking down at the clear liquid in his cup.

He knew really well he could have been a monster like The Hollow.

Nez gulped down those bad thoughts along with the rest of the cider. “I'll take a refill”.

Dhana happily obliged.

Nez barely got to empty half of his second cup, that the tavern doors opened to let in three heavily cloaked figures.

Two were fairly minute. The third one was kinda huge, and couldn't really hide he heavy armor and the massive shield on their back.

While they approached the counter, Nez looked at them with interest. It didn't take him much to notice the expensive clothing and equipment they were wearing beneath those cloaks.

He hid his smile behind his cup.

Maybe a good opportunity presented itself right before him.