Iris navigated to a bar. It was one that in all her tries, that bastard favoured. Maybe there was a chance of encountering him there. Evidently, and quite obviously, she wasn’t let into the duke’s mansion. She knew her way around the town. Every single nook and cranny, where the best hiding spots were, everything.

A large, old cat mewoed at her as she moved past it. With a black coat, it had a few patches of white scattered here and there. With part of its left ear cut, it looked like it had lived on the streets for a long time.

“Cute.”

She squatted down to pat it. The furry beast moved to meet her hand. She touched that oily fur. The warmth from the cat was comforting. And she could feel her stress melting away.

“You like that right?”

But she had somewhere to be. There was only so much time she had at hand. Leaving the cat behind, she turned her attention back to the streets. Walking past a deserted alleyway, she sighed. Why did this timeline change so much? By now, the Francis Rayleigh that she was familiar with would have already committed several crimes. The list included, but was not limited to: assault, sexual assault, theft, attempted murder, corruption, and bribe taking.

She bit her thumb. How was it so different? In every single timeline before, he was more or less the same. No matter what. She didn’t even want to ask if he was still going on the same path as he always was. What if he really was different? She shook her head. Impossible, even when accounting for multiversal drift. Impossible.

The evening sun was close to setting. Stars peeked out of their covers of the night, the dark blanket that they hid beneath. She cracked her neck. This body of hers was only slightly different from the one she got used to. Minor differences.

A small crowd moved by. That much was normal. Just the farmers going back home, and the merchants stopping their businesses. Of course, come night, the crime levels increase as well. And it was just like that.

“Thief!”

She breathed a sigh of relief. In every single timeline she went to, there was a thief at this exact place and date. Sure, the hours and minutes of the act did differ, but the crime did happen nonetheless. A constant, in a sense.

Instantly, she took off. Pushing her way through the crowd, the alerted people shoved and pushed in an attempt to catch the thief. She knew better.

“Catch him!”

That was their first mistake. With all her experience, that thief was no man. A small girl, in fact. Iris made her way into an alleyway. The sequence of movements were nearly instinctual at this point.

“Stop right there, little girl.”

The alleyway she slipped in was the thief’s escape route. It took her a few rounds to get it right, but she has never been wrong about that since. A hooded figure stopped in her tracks. She crouched down, and Iris spotted a glint of a knife, reflecting the moonlight that shone from above.

“Now hang on. You don’t want to do that.”

“Move... Or else!”

“Or else what.”

“I stab you.”

“No you won’t.”

“I will. Move.”

“No.”

Iris stood firmly. The small girl’s arm shivered. With a dash, she rushed towards Iris. But, with a swift sweep of the legs, that girl fell on her bottom and the knife slipped out of her hands harmlessly. That girl was Alice. And, a bag fell out onto the ground.

“Like I said, you won’t.” Iris squatted down and picked up the knife by its tip.

Holding it in between her index finger and thumb, she taunted Alice. With a toss, Iris flung it up into the air, and caught it with her hand. Her palm and fingers fitted comfortably around its handle.

“And what’s this?” Iris picked up the bag.

“G-give that back!”

“Stale bread, huh?”

“Please! It's for my brother!”

“I’ll give you something better if you return it.”

“No! You’re a strange woman!”

“You’re not really wrong. Listen, your brother’s starving and your mother’s sick right?”

“How did you know?”

“I just know. And I’ll help you out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Here, I’ll go with you to give that bread back.”

“You will?”

“Mhm. Now, let’s go.”

Iris reached out to hold Alice’s hand. They walked together towards a disgruntled store owner. With a humble shop, just some wooden tables, he didn’t look that well off. Once he spotted Alice however, his annoyed face turned to rage. He grabbed a wooden chair, and held it up high, with his knuckles turning white. Alice hid behind Iris, quivering behind the older girl’s leg.

“You bitch!”

“Stop it. Are you really going to murder a child just because of some stale bread?”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Are you her sister?”

“And if I am?”

“Then you need to pay up! And then fuck off!”

“Calm down. I understand that you’re angry.”

“Damn right I am!”

“Yeah. So calm down. She’s sorry. Come here.”

Alice left the safety of the legs. She bowed her head, and took off the hood of her cloak. Her green eyes sparkled like the green seas of the Friaren Empire. That man shot a glare.

“Say sorry,” Iris said.

“I’m sorry mister.”

“Give him back the bread.”

“What? But I thought you were ‘onna give me something better! Liar! Liar woman! You’re just like that one eye man!”

“One eye man?”

“Yeah. That one eye man lied!”

“Miss, could I please have my goods back please?”

The storekeeper seemed to have calmed down. Now sitting back in his chair, with his legs and arms crossed, he just looked like a grumpy middle aged man. His balding did not help him with his case.

“Oh right, of course. I will get you something better, I swear on the avatar of Truth. So just give the man his bread, alright?”

“Whoa there miss. That’s a huge thing to do. You sure ‘bout that?”

“Yeah. May the gods strike me down if I don’t.”

Iris dumped the bag onto the man’s table. It hit the wood with a thud. He peeked into the sack, and without inspection, said that it was all.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

She headed towards the bar. Alice followed close by, any closer and she would have been clinging onto a leg. Such a small and young girl should not be committing crimes.

They stopped just outside of the bar. Iris squatted down, and got to eye level with Alice. Extending her hand for a handshake, Iris waited for her to take it.

“I’m Iris. Nice to meet you.” She shook the girl’s hand.

“Alice. Will you really help me?”

“Of course I will. But tell me about this one eye man.”

“Um. He talked to my pa, and they told me that they’ll give me something good if I went with them.”

“Did you go with them?”

“No! My ma shouted at them and they ran away!”

“Good job Alice.”

Iris patted her head. The rough, unclean hair was in no way attractive. Dry and unkempt, it was just another part of living in the poor regions.

“Do you know who the one eye man is?”

“No, he’s creepy!”

“That’s why I need to find him. I’ll beat him up!” Iris clenched her fist and hit her palm with it.

“Yeah! Thank you miss Iris!”

“Now, I’m sorry Alice. But, I’ll buy you some fresh bread tomorrow morning. Go back home now, okay?”

“What? But Justin will die!”

“He won’t. Don’t worry.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Would a friend lie to another?”

“You’re my friend?”

“Of course. Aren’t you?”

“Wow! Miss Iris is my friend.”

Alice clung onto the leg, like a lost child. She nodded, and walked away. That man was most probably a human trafficker. That was a problem. Iris made a mental note of it. With Alice returning home, Iris turned her attention back to the bar. The human trafficker could stew in her mind.

Pushing the bar door open, the wooden boards squeaked beneath her weight. She flicked her blonde hair behind her. A few pairs of eyes were on her, as were expected. She made her way to the end of the bar table, and ordered a mug of rum. The bartender scoffed, but she placed a handful of coins on the table. With a cursory glance, he swept it all onto the palm of his hand. He slammed the mug in front of her, and she accepted it without objection.

The bitter liquid slid down her throat. It burnt on the way down. But still, she swallowed. In a quiet corner of the bar, without a companion, she probably looked like an easy target. Which was why two men approached her just after 15 minutes of sitting there. She could spot them coming from across the building, just out of the corners of her eyes. With a slender figure, and a relatively young look, it wasn’t a surprise why they chose her. Still, if they did attempt something, she could handle them with ease. But, the doors slammed open.

“Whoa. What the hell happened?” A woman scratched her head.

A group of people entered. Three women. Or more accurately, two women, and one who looked like one. The two creepy men retreated back to their seats and held their heads in their hands.

“Y-y-young master! What could I get for you?” the grumpy bartender asked.

“Tch.”

Iris recognised that person immediately. Francis Rayleigh. Who wouldn’t recognise him? That grey hair, and those pink eyes. The error of the family. He ordered a bottle of wine, along with those two pawns of his. And by sheer luck, or perhaps a hand above, they sat right by her. Why were the two pretty women with him? Did he buy them at a slave market? Certainly, it wasn’t out of the question. Especially that knight of his. If she recalled correctly from her timelines, Francis Rayleigh never had a knight girl with him. Would that throw her plans away? No. To her, he was, and will always be the one to plunge the world into darkness. And she was the one to stop that.

“Well. Mind explaining your glares, lady..?”

He prompted her for her name. How dare he. She had to resist the urge to strangle him right there and then. The thought of wrapping her hands around his delicate neck was a pleasant idea to indulge in.

“Are you Francis Rayleigh?” Iris asked.

“Do not talk to him so casually!” The knight girl stood up and looked prepared for a fight. Where did he get someone so loyal? Was she being blackmailed?

“No need to worry. Stand down, Katalina. And yes, I am. You are?”

He waved away the slave’s concern. With gritted teeth, she sat back down, but still occasionally shot a glare. Iris kept her mouth shut. Her mind was moving faster than her body. Katalina, was it? Never had Iris encountered a girl like her. And what about the other woman with him? Who was she? Were they there to kill? Iris prepared for combat. If Francis Rayleigh even looked like he was going to swing that bottle and smash it against someone’s skull, she could end it right here. But it was far too soon. Contact with the gods was not established yet. She cursed her own laziness. If only she had visited the temple earlier.

Iris could feel the stares of the public. So they were familiar with his antics, it seemed. Everyone that bore witness to the duke’s son had similar comments about him. Scum of the earth, useless piece of shit, violent maniac, avatar of lust, the forbidden god’s return. She was the only one that even spoke to him. The freezing cold atmosphere of the room was indicative of something.

But, contrary to expectations, he drank without a problem. Downing a glass of wine, he looked at her. His cheeks flushed. Was he drunk already? He fluttered his eyelashes at her, and flashed a gentle smile. Even Iris had to gulp. What a pity it was that the person that face and body was the epitome of evil.

“Let’s go,” Francis said to his group, “You’re an interesting lady. What’s your name?”

Within a split second, she had to make a decision. Iris opened her mouth, and closed it. He wouldn’t have her name. Not with what he did. Once someone committed the sins and crimes that he had on that long, long list of his, there was no going back. He shrugged, and left the bar. Iris breathed a sigh, as the hustle and bustle of the drinkers returned. Naturally, most of them were interested not in her, but in her interaction with that piece of trash. They flooded her with questions, but she declined to answer any. Instead, she chugged the remaining rum within her mug, and left. Something went entirely wrong in this timeline. Things weren’t the way they were meant to be. But Iris didn’t want to confront that question. The question of if this Francis was different. Then what? Her life would have no meaning to it. All she knew was to destroy the threat before it destroyed the world. And she was right in every single timeline so far. And she didn’t want to take that risk. Not when the lives of every kingdom and empire of the world was at stake.