To the citizens of the Vanarros Empire, there was nothing quite like the nights when not a cloud lay plastered in the sky and various stars lay dotted about like points on a map. For many, the stars were a representation of the young empire, an array of unique individuals who would guide the continent of Xesbor into a new era, free from the influence of past transgressions. One such individual was a young man of twenty, Lucian Faust. In the pale glow of the night, Lucian’s blue-green eyes held a captivated gaze toward the stars, an expressionless frown forming at his lips.
“Hey, Hywel… What do you think it’d be like to rule the world?”
Though Lucian’s vision never left the sky, the sound of his voice reached its audience; a second young man sat quietly next to him.
The man chuckled slightly, though it was more towards the suddenness of such a loaded question rather than that of anything humorous.
Hywel Garrad was the name of this second stargazer. His skin was smooth and fair with obvious signs of a well-maintained appearance which was complimented by sleek, dirty-blonde hair that he wore down to his shoulders. Friendly brown eyes and a rather striking green coat underlined with violet completed his look. Even judging by appearance alone it was plain to see that Hywel Garrad was a high-ranking royal through and through. Though, Hywel Garrad was not just a royal. He was the royal, a crown prince to be exact. The only heir to Empress Cerridwyn and her husband Emperor Emrys and first in line to one day rule the whole of it.
Hywel glanced slightly in Lucian’s direction, though admittedly his own gaze was much more entranced by the night sky as opposed to his friend’s newfound philosophical sense.
“That’s quite the question, Lucian. Why ask it?”
“Dunno, maybe 'cause you seem like the best person to ask. I mean you are a prince. You’d know better than anyone else I know.”
Hywel smiled dryly and shook his head. “You’re an idiot, you know that? I haven’t even spent a day ruling yet, what could I possibly tell you?”
Lucian shrugged and finally brought his eyes away from the sky and toward Hywel.
“Not sure..” He started slowly, bringing his hand to his chin. “ But now that I think about it even if you had I don’t think I could trust your word.”
“Why’s that?”
“You don’t have the mental capacity to do it with any sense.”
Hywel raised an eyebrow and shrugged, mimicking Lucian’s earlier action.
“Well, that’s to be expected. We idiots have to stick together after all.”
“Ain’t that the truth? A couple of idiots…”
Hywel nodded and returned to a far-off star he’d been trying to gather his focus on. If he squinted he swore he could see a figure dancing on its surface…He just had to squint a little-
“Have you ever thought about it?”
“Thought about what, ruling the world?”
“Yeah…”
Hywel sighed and resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn’t be confirming his suspicions of a celestial dancing man that night.
“I guess… I mean one day I’ll be emperor. My parents are pretty adamant about spreading their influence, so I haven’t got much doubt it’ll be expected of me as well.”
Hywel’s mouth bore a smile, but for a split second something in his eyes looked off. Whether uncertainty, fear, or some other clouded emotion it disappeared as quickly as it manifested and Lucian was unable to pinpoint its true meaning.
“I’m not against it, ruling over all of Xesbor, I mean. Wouldn’t that be something?”
A toothy grin appeared on Hywel’s face as his eyes began to sparkle with dreams of power.
“Aha, could you imagine…me…Hywel Garrad, High Emperor of Xesbor!”
In the face of his friend’s sudden outburst, Lucian broke into a laugh.
“Oh yeah, I could definitely see that!...” Lucian teased as Hywel continued to look proudly in his general direction.
“I imagine your head on a stake as the clergy of the Holy Trichotomy descends into chaos cause you executed one of their precious gods.”
“Hmph, well they should’ve prayed harder then.”
Hywel and Lucian bantered back and forth continuing to make a joke out of Hywel’s plan of world domination. When he’d finally had enough of the jokes at his expense, Hywel directed the question back toward Lucian.
“Would you take a shot at ruling the world?”
Lucian shifted around a bit before rising to his feet and placing his hands on his hips.
“Would I want to rule the world?... Even if I got the chance I-...”
Lucian knew his place. He may have been a noble, but he was a lesser noble, a noble with no ties to the royal family and of the merchant class. In other words, someone with no chance of achieving such a goal.
“No, I don’t think I would. Ignoring the fact that it’d be impossible, it’d probably be quite a hassle.” Lucian said with a taut look on his face.
Hywel chuckled.
“Yes, it probably would be quite the hassle, but then I ask once more, why ask the question? You obviously care about it somewhat or you wouldn’t have bothered asking me in the first place.”
“Oh, so it’s a crime to have a deep thought while sitting on a roof?”
“Hmm, oh…I almost forgot we were up here!” Hywel blurted his eyes turned down toward the streets below them.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a prince? You really need to pay better attention to your surroundings.”
“Well, I’m sorry I was too busy answering some wannabe philosopher’s question to pay much attention to where I had taken my seat!”
“Hmph, well, you didn’t have to answer my question if you didn’t want to!”
“Oh sure, like you didn’t practically beg for me to answer!”
“What are you talking about?! I didn’t beg for anything!”
Far too absorbed in their back and forth, the two friends failed to notice a third presence on the roof. The intruder crept up on them slowly and deliberately as if they were planning their words with each step.
“I think both of you need to pay better attention to your surroundings and realize that some of us are trying to sleep!”
The two whirled around, startled by the invasion of their one-on-one debate. There, in the pale glow of the night, they stared right into the smug face of Lucian’s sister, Ophelia.
To the citizens of Giadia, the capital city of the Vanarros Empire and the place where the Faust family made their home, few women could rival Ophelia Faust in terms of beauty. Her raven black hair, eye-catching blue-green eyes, and pale skin matched that of her younger brother, but it was the way in which she carried herself by which she had captured the hearts of the masses. Her elegant dresses and gemstone-encrusted jewelry complimented her nicely as she walked through the Merchant Quarter greeting each passerby with a warm smile and friendly wave. Of course, that was all an act. For all her beauty, Ophelia Faust was perhaps best known for her skill with the sword and the adventuring work she had dedicated herself to in the past year. And well, to Lucian, it was all too clear that his sister’s true personality was far closer to that of a cocky adventurer as opposed to the public’s young beauty.
“Why put so much emphasis on the word some?” Lucian shot toward Ophelia as he gave her an unimpressed glance. “You’re acting like you didn’t just sneak through the window from the street yourself.”
“Wha-???” Ophelia balked as her self-satisfied expression disappeared into disappointment.
“See, if you spent time listening to our conversation rather than formulating your little one-liner you would’ve heard properly that it was Hywel who wasn’t paying attention, not me.”
Lucian shook his head as a near-perfect replica of his sister’s smug grin broke across his face.
“Oh dear, what a shame…”
“...Shut up Lucian.” Ophelia spat scrunching up her face in an effort to prevent her own smile from returning. However, it was a losing battle, and soon both Faust siblings were chuckling at the other's wit. Their brief moment of sibling comradery was quickly shattered as a third laugh burst through their bubble.
“ Aha, It’s true though, I never saw you coming.”
Ophelia’s face dropped from a smile to a passive-aggressive smirk and Lucian gave Hywel an exasperated glance. Momentarily unaware of the looks shot his way, Hywel chuckled for a second more before he noticed his lack of support and tapered it off with an abrupt clearing of his throat.
“You shut up too, Hywel, I don’t need your sympathy.”
“Yeah, no one asked for your input!”
Hywel gave an overdramatic sigh and spun on his heels turning his body from the others before folding his arms together in a fake pout.
“Well then, on that execution-worthy remark, I think I’ll be going!”
Ophelia clasped her hands together and tilted her head in a cutesy manner toward the young prince. The voice that followed was sweet as can be, but the words that accompanied them were anything but.
“Dear oh dear, is our fragile little prince unable to take not being the center of attention?... Hehe, how pathetic.”
Hywel placed his hand on his head and reeled back for dramatic effect.
“Indeed miss, I am clearly pathetic! Oh and what a shame it is! But... I am still your prince. Therefore I have but a simple request.”
“That being?”
“Carry me.”
Ophelia folded her arms and peered at Hywel’s still reeling figure. Suddenly, a trail of pink materialized on her cheeks and she smiled bashfully.
“If that is what his majesty wishes… I will make it true.”
“Wait wha-”
Ophelia lunged at Hywel and wrapped her arms around him. The elder Faust sibling effortlessly tossed Hywel, who was over a head taller than her, off the roof sending him crashing into a pile of hay below, much to the amusement of Lucian who balked at the whole affair.
As Hywel rose from the ground, plucking bits of hay from his clothes, Lucian and Ophelia climbed down from the roof and joined him.
“Well, I was kidding before, but now I think I really will need you to carry me home. I haven’t taken a fall like that since that time at the windmill back when we were kids.”
“Speaking of, I had no idea you could still throw him around like that, Ophelia.”
Ophelia’s eyes sparkled with smugness as she shrugged her shoulders.
“Not just him, you too. What do you think I’ve been training for all this time? I wasn’t planning on fighting bandits, just throwing you two idiots off roofs.”
“Yeah sure, except if it was me there wouldn’t have been a pile of hay waiting to cushion my fall.”
The trio, including Hywel this time, laughed heartily before the young excused himself properly and bid the Fausts goodnight. With a bow, the young prince exited, straining his back in an attempt to disguise the very unprincely limp that now hindered his movement.
When Lucian was sure Hywel had disappeared from his sight he glanced toward Ophelia and gave her boot a small nudge with his own, grabbing her attention.
“You need something, don’t you? You wouldn’t have come up here otherwise.”
Ophelia nodded as all the joy from earlier seeped from the air. As her eyes met Lucian's, a pleading look began to form on her face.
“It’s Oswin…again.”
Lucian rubbed his head and grimaced. “Ugh…The same?”
Ophelia nodded again.
“I don’t know what to do, Lucian. He’s tried for months to get away from them, but they won’t leave him alone. And of course, you know Mother and Father can’t find out…”
In total, there were five children of Jacob and Sapphira Faust. Ophelia, the eldest, was a year older than Lucian, who was three years older than the middle child, Elvira. Finally, there were the twins Ravenna and Oswin who were two years younger than Elvira. Oswin Faust had recently been on a rebellious streak. From the ages of twelve to fourteen, the co-youngest of the Faust family had run with a local gang of street thugs, mostly comprised of urchins, who often victimized the pockets of Giadia’s merchants.
It was a year ago when Lucian and Ophelia confronted their brother with the knowledge of his thieving. From that point on he began to scale back his involvement with the gang to the point where within a few months, he’d cut all contact. Well, at least he thought he had. Unsurprisingly, considering the company he ran with, the gang saw a clear opportunity in Oswin’s departure. It started with thinly veiled threats of silence but soon morphed into full-on blackmail. If he didn’t pay his monthly due, he’d be ratted out to everyone.
“They’ve caused a lot of trouble for the merchants, Lucian. He’d be thrown in the dungeons if his involvement was exposed… I doubt even Hywel could justify getting him released.”
“...That’s not even mentioning what it would do to Mother and Father.”
“Right. And even if he does pay, eventually, it would lead to the exact same conclusion. He’s only fifteen, he doesn’t have much money to begin with.”
Lucian watched as Ophelia twirled her finger through her hair. It was a nervous habit both the elder Faust siblings had picked up, though from the way her eyes clouded with uncertainty it would’ve been clear to even a common passerby that she was quite uneasy. Lucian knew his face held the same look. For the two of them, their family was their life and they would do anything to keep them safe. So, for something to threaten that way of life, it was a threat to their very way of being.
The pair stood silently, pondering the situation.
“This has got to be resolved soon. Oswin can only do so much on his own…but…getting involved with thieves?! That’s just not my thing!... Ophelia would be a much better choice to take care of this, but…hmm…”
After some time, it was Lucian who spoke, having collected his thoughts and firmly grasped the situation at hand.
“So, in summary, he either gets thrown in jail, gets attacked by angry merchants, or…”
“Someone takes care of it.” Ophelia declared softly.
Noticing the resolve in her voice, Lucian frowned and shuffled slightly in place. He knew very well what Ophelia was implying.
“You can’t do it, yeah? Cause of the guild rules. So, I guess it has to be me.”
The guild rules. That was the reason this situation was so complicated. According to the rules of the Giadia Adventuring Guild, one was not allowed to take on a job without first getting it approved by the guildmaster. The problem was, per Ophelia, the class requirement for the task of taking out the Merchant Quarter thieves was too high for her. Lucian didn’t know too much about adventuring class requirements, but he did know that if Ophelia went and did a job behind the guild’s back she’d be barred from taking jobs ever again.
“I’m sorry, Lucian. I tried everything I could to convince them to let me take the job, but they wouldn’t budge. If circumstances were different I’d just do it anyway, but…you and I both know what would happen if I got kicked from the guild.”
Ophelia spoke the truth. If his elder sister was forced out of her adventuring work it was all too likely that she’d be reentered as the heir to the Faust business. The only reason Lucian was in the position to inherit the title in the first place was because once she had finalized her position as an adventurer she adamantly told their parents she had no interest in carrying on the family legacy. Their parents had been accepting then, but who’s to say they wouldn’t accept her back with open arms if her situation demanded it?
“I’ll take care of it, just leave my bedroom window unlocked so I can get back in once I’m finished.”
“Really? You will?”
Lucian cracked his fingers and took a deep breath.
“I think I’ve had just about enough of this mess.”
Ophelia smiled and nodded in agreement. “I’ll be sure to leave your window unlocked. Good luck, Lucian.”
Lucian said nothing and watched as Ophelia dipped from the rooftop and back into their house. With little time to waste, Lucian hopped down and followed suit. Slipping from the roof, Lucian soon found himself traveling the well-paved cobblestone streets of the Merchant Quarter.
Lucian knew of this gang well, in fact, even ignoring what he’d gleaned from Oswin’s involvement there were very few merchants who hadn’t at least heard complaints about the young gang of thieves. Far removed from their days of pickpocketing with Oswin, the thieves had seemingly ramped up their activity. Almost every night for the past month, valuable items had gone missing from stalls and storefronts alike. The guards hadn’t yet looked into it, but the words of a merchant traveled well. Through some light eavesdropping, Lucian had learned that many of the cases contained a common denominator. An alleyway escape.
With this in mind, it was only a matter of checking down the various alleyways of the Merchant Quarter until he found exactly what he was looking for.
“There you are…”
From down the dimly lit alley Lucian could see four distinct figures against the arched stone walls placed adjacent to the path. Without hesitation, Lucian strolled down the narrow pathway toward his targets, who had yet to notice him. As he drew closer he began to make out the basic details of their features. One taller…the others shorter. All decently built but malnourished. Their clothing was consistent with that of the common peasantry. There were scars, blemishes, even stray hairs. All came to focus as Lucian came closer and closer…and then…
“Excuse me, gentleman!”
The four figures snapped to attention.
“I apologize for the disturbance. My name is Lucian Faust and I’m looking for a certain infamous thief. Would any of you happen to be the leader of a gang around here?”
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
The four looked back and forth between each other, evidently unsure of what to say.
“Are you just going to trade glances or-?...”
One of the smaller ones, a raggedly-looking boy with matted hair and a scar across his left cheek spoke up.
“You’ve got some nerve sneaking up on us without an invite!”
Lucian bowed slightly as the boys closed in on his position. Though his head angled toward the ground, Lucian kept his eyes focused on the thieves, watching for any sudden movements he could interpret as a threat. Still, his tone was a pleasant one as he addressed them.
“Again, my apologies, but it’s urgent.”
“Oh yeah, what’s the issue?”
“Are you the leader?”
Silence. Lucian could easily make out the twitches of agitation moving across the boy’s face. With a flash, the thief pulled a dagger from his pocket and pointed it at Lucian’s throat.
“Listen, bastard, I don’t know who you are, but you’ve got about two seconds before I cut your eyes out and feed them to you!”
Lucian slowly raised his head and kept his eyes locked on the knife. It was dulled a bit but still in good enough condition to slit his throat. At any moment he knew his life could be in grave danger. Yet even still, his voice remained collected as he put on his best merchant voice and continued his act.
“Tut tut, so rude, I’m simply an interested party looking for an opportunity to invest in the Merchant Quarter’s finest gang of thieves.”
All at once the ears of the thieves perked up.
“What kind of investment are we talking about here?”
“If you want that answer I’m going to need you to take that knife away from my throat.”
When the knife remained perfectly in place Lucian forced a wide grin and slowly raised his hands in the air before speaking once more.
“I understand your caution, but I promise I mean you no harm.”
Slowly the scarred boy lowered his knife as he moved his eyes toward one of the other boys, the tallest one with ungroomed blonde hair and a face that showed the wear of one who traveled through the underbelly of the city. Remnants of past conflicts were visible in the form of bruises, scars, and, much to Lucian’s disgust, even bits of dried blood that stained his person. Lucian was acutely aware of every movement this boy took. The way his neck angled, the way his arms twitched, the way he kept his right leg in front of his left… It all came to focus. From what Lucian could conceptualize, his opponent was doing the same. The two men stood stoically opposed to each other, their eyes eating up any sort of weakness their minds could come up with. When both men seemed satisfied with their analysis Lucian spoke.
“Can I safely assume then that you are the one I’ve been asking for?”
The tall boy smiled sinisterly and held out his hand. Lucian noted his 3 missing teeth and the calluses on his outstretched fingers. As he stepped forward…his left knee buckled slightly. Whether from past conflict or simply genetic defect, it was a clear weakness in the mind of Faust.
“It’s a delight to meet you, Lucian Faust. I'm sorry I couldn’t reveal myself earlier. It's just…hehehe…us…uh…what did you call us again?”
“The finest gang of thieves?”
The tall boy beamed.
“That’s right! See, the finest gang of thieves can’t exactly have their identities just out there in the open now, can they?!”
Lucian nodded and firmly shook his hand. Though the boy was malnourished, his handshake was strong enough to clearly show that his position in the gang had not been unwarranted.
“Naturally…And judging from the smile on all of your faces I’d say you’ve got quite the loyal group.”
The leader patted the scarred boy on the back and nodded.
“Of course, I’d die for these fine comrades.”
Lucian slowly tilted his head in agreement.
“Now, Mr. Faust, allow me to introduce myself. The name’s Amos Anton-”
Lucian had never truly fought someone before. Sure, he’d spent some amount of his childhood sparring with his older sister, but it wasn’t exactly encouraged for the heirs of wealthy merchants to go around fighting people. Even so, at the very moment Amos Antony uttered his name Lucian sent him crashing to the ground with a swift kick to his ailing knee. Lucian followed through with his kick and spun through the air sending a right hook hurtling toward the scarred boy who had lurched back in surprise as his leader crumpled to the ground. The punch landed squarely in the boy’s jaw with a resounding thud that sent him head-first into the alley’s stone wall knocking him unconscious. With half their numbers dealt with, the other two thieves tried desperately to evade Lucian’s attack. One ducked under a wildly thrown punch but was quickly met with a knee to the stomach. With one more flurry of punches, the last of the thieves was cleanly dispatched leaving all four sprawled out on the ground.
From the corner of his eye, Lucian noticed Amos, who had begun to crawl away in a desperate attempt to sneak away from the fight mostly unharmed. The once gloating leader groaned in frustration as he clawed his way towards the alley’s entrance, but as his attacker stepped over him he knew his struggle had been a futile one.
“Now, you listen to me and you listen good…”
“Y-You bastard! Who do you think you-“
Lucian grabbed Amos by the collar of his shirt and dragged him up to meet the level of his eyes Amos’ pupils shrunk in fear as his gaze met Lucian’s.
“You really are idiots you know… Did you actually think that someone would just approach you in an alleyway like this with no sort of ulterior motive? Or, maybe you’re just used to being the predator rather than the prey…”
Though Lucian had thoroughly terrified him, Amos shook the fear from his mind and glared back at Lucian. With a smirk, he scrunched up his face and spat at Lucian, connecting with his face with a satisfying splat.
Lucian clicked his tongue and used his free hand to wipe the saliva from his cheek. With a shake of his head, he turned his attention back toward Amos and shoved him back to the ground.
“Wouldn’t it strike you as odd that someone with the last name of one of your victims would come to you after you did everything in your power to ruin his life? Or do you not even know the names of the ones you screwed over?... Even if you once considered them an ally...”
His words hit the thief like daggers. Though the level of his anger kept steady, Lucian’s icey voice alone was enough to give even the bravest of warriors pause.
“I’ve got a pretty decent idea of what you are, thief. You started out with a fair enough goal in mind. Rob a few nobles to help yourself out of your shitty life, easy enough stuff. But things went sooo well, didn’t they? You were able to rob them blind, so why stop there, right? A little extortion here, a little blackmail there-”
“Please stop! We’ll do whatever you want, just stop!”
It was one of the other thieves. Lucian paused, only now noticing the tears that welled in Amos’ eyes. Apparently, his read of the thief had been the correct one.
“I…I’m sorry Mr. Faust. We knew we were wrong, but, the money! It was more than any of us had ever seen!”
Lucian sighed and stood up dusting himself off before holding a hand out to Amos. With a hesitant look, Amos grabbed his hand and was dragged up to his feet.
“I can’t fault you for trying to make money. I know it’s tough for a lot of people out there.”
For a citizen of Giadia, Lucian had learned a great deal more about the Vanarros Empire than most. His mother and father had taken many trips outside of the city to sell their wares and many of their experiences were passed on to Lucian in the form of stories. The tales of plague and famine would be unthinkable to many within the capital city, yet according to his parents, such travesties were far too common outside of its walls. At times like this, when Lucian found himself involved with someone down on their luck, he remembered words his father had once imparted to him.
“Lucian, no matter how unlucky we think we are, there are always those dealt an even worse hand. Remember that the next time you find yourself thinking about your own woes.”
“I didn’t let you finish before so I’ll ask now. Would you tell me your name?”
Amos smiled and held out his hand.
“Amos Antony, nice to meet you, Lucian Faust.”
Lucian took Amos’ hand and shook it.
“Thank you for your sympathy, Lucian. There aren’t many around here who are like that.”
Lucian agreed. Nobles weren’t exactly the most accepting of the classes. In a way getting caught by Lucian was the best-case scenario for the thieves. He was probably one of the only people in the Merchant Quarter who wouldn’t just throw them to the guards, or worse, gut them like fish. However, Lucian knew his job wasn’t quite finished yet.
“I don’t need your thank you, Amos, I need your word. You’ve hurt someone close to me and I won’t be satisfied until you do something about it.”
“Oswin, correct?”
“Oh, so you do know his name.”
Amos crossed his arms and dropped his gaze as his eyes shifted to regret. From the way the others shifted uncomfortably nearby, it was clear that the sentiment was mutual.
“It’s just as you said, the nobles were easy targets. We started making so much money that it turned our attention toward other avenues of making it. That’s why Oswin and…a lot of others were dragged into this mess. I-I doubt you can forgive us for that, but…I can at least give you my word. It'll never happen again.”
Lucian could see the certainty in Amos’ face. It was possible that the regret they felt might have been because they had been caught rather than a genuine feeling, but it didn’t matter to him as long as they left Oswin alone.
“I’ll trust your word, Amos. I hope you can keep it.”
Amos lifted his head and smiled brightly.
“Thank you, Lucian, I will. In fact, I’ll get started right now!”
Amos snapped his fingers and the three other thieves brought their full attention to their leader.
“Boys, I want you to get started canceling our debts. Go to the spots and tell ‘em the arrangements are off!”
Without a moment's hesitation, the trio nodded and exited the alleyway into the night.
Amos proudly watched them leave, a smile never leaving his face. Lucian couldn’t help but feel just a little impressed with the way he was able to effortlessly lead his gang.
“We had several meetings going on tonight. We can’t exactly ease the minds of everyone we’ve hurt just yet, but we can at least get started.”
“I’m surprised they just followed your orders without question like that.”
“For better or worse, their loyalty to me is unwavering. I helped each one of them out of a life-or-death situation at some point. In exchange, they gave me their loyalty. Alexander was dumped outside a noble’s house when his mother passed away, Flavian was mauled by wolves, and Philip-”
The way that Amos reminisced about his friends was in stark contrast to the actions of the gang as a whole. Lucian smiled to himself as Amos recounted his first meetings with each member. Though he couldn't see the thief as a wholly good person, it was clear that Amos Antony cared deeply for his friends.
“Ah, I apologize, I’m rambling. I doubt you have time for such stories, so I’ll drop it at that.”
“It’s fine, I understand now that you’ll keep your word.”
“I see, then I suppose I shall head off now and do my part in canceling the debts. Goodbye, Lucian. I hope to see you around some time-”
“Perhaps I may be of assistance to you, young man.”
Lucian and Amos whirled to attention in the direction of the voice. At the edge of the alleyway stood an imposing figure, hands thrown up in a defusing manner. The sudden intruder appeared to be a man of middle age with a beard and medium-length hair. A top hot obscured any other distinguishing features from sight.
“I couldn’t help but notice you seem to be dealing with a bit of a problem, sir. I’d be happy to help.”
The man’s words were friendly, but something about his tone gave Lucian pause. It was that of no true emotion, a sort of basic indifference that contrasted the frightening display before him.
“Who are you?” Amos replied curtly.
It appeared the man’s identity was unknown to both of them. The intruder’s hands remained frozen in the air as he stepped into the light of a streetlamp revealing his full form.
“Wendel Beckenbauer, pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Beckenbauer was, as Lucian had been able to make out in the darkness, a rather intimidating middle-aged man. He had straight, deep brown hair that obscured much of the sides of his head and a beard complemented well by a rather twirly mustache. His clothes did no help in revealing his true figure as a heavy-layered suit, cape, and top hat all colored brown further kept him obstructed from prying eyes. Beckenbauer smiled and gave a polite bow. Such actions would normally go over well with a stranger, but something didn’t quite feel right. Lucian shook the thought and regarded the man with a level tone.
“There’s no need to panic. He’s just a friendly passerby, right?”
Just as Lucian was about to open his mouth in greeting, Amos spoke first.
“Thank you for the offer, but you don’t need to involve yourself in this mess. I’ll take care of it myself.”
Beckenbauer’s smile never faltered as he shook his head.
“Please, I insist on helping… After all, I fear I’ve halted your progress a tad bit.”
Stepping aside, Beckenbaur revealed the bodies of the other three thieves, all lying motionless on the ground behind him.
Lucian stepped back in horror and suppressed the urge to vomit. Even in the darkness of the alleyway, he could see the slashes through their throats. They’d almost been decapitated.
“Ah-”
Lucian quickly suppressed the cry that escaped his mouth. He glanced to his left. Amos shook violently and clenched his fists. Tears began to well in the thief's eyes as his breathing turned ragged.
“You…you…bastard… I’LL KILL YOU!!!”
“Amos don’t!”
Lucian lunged toward Amos in an attempt to stop him, but the thief had already charged the killer. From his waist, he pulled a small iron dagger and aimed it at Beckenbauer’s throat. No sooner had he raised his arm to deliver the blow when a projectile, blasted from his target’s hip, sent him sprawling to the ground.
“How unfortunate, I’d hoped to take in you alive at the very least.”
Beckenbauer paid Lucian no mind as he approached Amos, who was beginning to realize he’d been gravely injured. The thief desperately stuck his hand toward Lucian and attempted to crawl away from his attacker. It was the same sort of desperate crawl he had utilized in his flight from Lucian. The attempt was abruptly thwarted when Beckenbauer fully revealed his weapon of choice, a small crossbow. With a deep twang of the drawstring, a bolt came plummeting out and embedded itself in Amos' head. The former thief didn’t even have time to scream before the light faded from his eyes.
A slow trickle of blood leaked from the corpse’s head as its’ killer stood overhead nodding with a satisfactory smirk. Lucian felt his legs buckle and nearly fell to the ground. Though he tried to call out, only grunts could escape his agape mouth. In that moment it was clear to him that Wendel Beckenbauer was a stone-cold killer. Beckenbauer reacted to Lucian with a small frown.
“Oh dear, you were so eager to fight these thieving fellows, but you draw the line at murder. How interesting… I assure you I mean no harm. I’m only doing what’s right.”
Lucian shook his head and steadied himself. Despite his fear, his disgust was overwhelming. This man administered his twisted justice without any remorse toward his victim. It was abhorrent.
“I understand they were bad people, but you killed them!”
Lucian was surprised at the strength of his outburst. Beckenbauer appeared equally taken aback, but in a fraction of a second, a smile returned to his face.
“You impress me, sir. I didn’t expect you to show such passion toward someone who could take your life in a fraction of a second.”
Lucian’s` face went slightly pale at Wendel’s thinly veiled threat. It was certainly true that Wendel possessed far more power than Lucian. Yet even so, he had to speak his mind. Lucian’s legs faltered a bit, but he pounded his fist into his chest and steadied his nerve.
“I apologize, Mr. Beckenbauer, but I simply must object to what you did.”
“No, I apologize, sir. I believe you may be misinformed. This man, Amos Antony... He isn’t the small-time criminal you play him off to be. As a matter of fact, he has in his possession an object that could jeopardize all of Xesbor.
Lucian stared at Beckenbauer with bewildered eyes.
“He does?”
“Indeed, now if you’ll excuse me.”
Beckenbaeur squatted down and began to conduct a cursory search of the body. As he ruffled through Amos’ clothes, his face was clouded by frustration. Suddenly, upon reaching into the pocket of Amos’ coat, his eyes lit up. From it, he pulled what seemed to be a small vial. Fumbling around in his own coat pocket, Beckenbauer produced a match that, when lit, revealed a slime-like, deep violet substance within.
Lucian peered over Beckenbauer’s shoulder squinting his eyes as he tried to identify the substance within. The consistency was odd, but it was the striking color that captivated Lucian’s attention. He’d never seen anything like it. And if a child of the Merchant Quarter didn’t recognize something, it was truly one of a kind.
“Of all the things you could’ve stolen you went after a one-of-a-kind item… Those thieves truly were idiots after.”
With a relieved sigh, Wendel Beckenbauer stored the vial on his person and whistled toward the direction of the street. The alleyway became brighter as a rather elegant-looking horse appeared, hauling a wooden cart in tow. Beckenbauer rose to his feet and approached the horse, giving it a firm pat on the head before reaching down, picking up one of the bodies, and tossing it nonchalantly into the cart.
“A little help here Mr…” Beckenbauer trailed off before turning his attention to Lucian with a polite bow. “It seems I must once again offer my apologies. I don’t believe I ever asked your name.”
“Lucian…Faust. I’m Lucian Faust.”
Beckenbauer smiled and nodded, in an emotion that Lucian thought resembled appreciation before abruptly clasping his hands together and returning to the task of hauling the remaining bodies into the cart. Lucian grimaced as his gaze met the corpses dully illuminated by the cart’s light. His eyes were drawn to the face of the scarred boy who had confronted him only minutes earlier. The cut at his throat was precise and deliberate, a perfect slash at the perfect angle. It reminded him of Ophelia’s skill with the blade, but he had only ever witnessed her precision against training dummies. In the flesh, it was far more grotesque than Lucian could’ve imagined. Blood pooled where the boy had fallen staining his clothes and matting his hair. His eyes were glazed over and permanently contorted in a look of terrified panic. Lucian felt his stomach lurch, his balance once again in jeopardy as a dizzying sickness washed over him.
“I…I…this…this is-”
“You should be proud of your name Sir Lucian. It is a powerful one indeed.”
Lucian’s mind could only half-heartedly comprehend the apparent compliment. It took all of the power he had within to not keel over and vomit. His legs shook violently and he had to prop his hand against the alley wall just to keep himself from collapse.
Noticing Lucian’s hysterics, Beckenbauer finally dropped his smile and solemnly nodded his head.
“You don’t have much experience with death do you, Sir Lucian?”
Lucian glanced at Beckenbauer, fighting every movement in his body that told him to curl up in a ball and cry. Grinding his teeth in an attempt to stop his rapid emotions, Lucian forcibly shook his head.
“N-No… Before today I hadn’t even been in a fight let alone seen a dead body… Now I’ve seen four.”
“I see my apologies for taking your experience so lightly then. Your first view of death should not be a pleasant one, I know that all too well. I must say though you are quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat for someone unfamiliar with the concept of a fight.”
“...I’ve had a lot of training.”
“I can tell…Hmm, I’ll handle the rest of the bodies. If you could just wait a moment I’ll have it taken care of.”
“Okay…thank you.”
Lucian sat woozily against the cobblestone wall of the alleyway as Wendel Beckenbauer went back to cleaning up his mess, humming a tune as he did so. Lucian breathed deeply, trying to regain a steady train of thought. He watched as Beckenbauer floated around, continuing his tune as he pulled a wet cloth from the back of his cart.
“I can hardly concentrate while he dances around like he’s at the local tavern...There isn’t even a look of regret on his face, it’s unbelievable.”
“Sir Lucian, I’ve just about finished here.”
“Huh? Oh, I see.” Lucian muttered as a bit of reality came flowing back to him. True to Beckenbauer’s word, all traces of the prior conflict had disappeared from the alleyway and into his cart where he now loosely covered them with a woolen tarp.
“Mr. Beckenbauer, forgive me if this question is inappropriate, but just how much experience do you have with this sort of thing?”
Beckenbauer savored Lucian’s question for a moment with a stroke of his beard.
“I suppose, it does look rather bad for me, doesn’t it? To not even flinch when faced with the prospect of killing in cold blood… I assure you, however, that it is not as it seems. I am a doctor and coroner by trade, so the presence of death does my mind no harm. As for my talents as a killer, I am a former adventurer and have battled with many a bandit in my day. It only makes sense that my experience would steel me toward such actions, does it not?”
Lucian nodded and on the surface, he believed Beckenbauer’s explanation. However, no matter how much his surface-level instinct wanted to, he could not shake the feeling that there was still something off about him.
“And now I have a question for you, Sir Lucian.”
Beckenbauer tucked the final corners of the tarp into the cart before fully directing his attention toward Lucian.
“How far are you willing to go to protect what you believe in?”
Lucian felt the gaze of Beckenbauer bore into him even in the relatively limited light. It was as if his very soul was being judged.
“I…I’m not sure how to answer that question, I don’t think I have enough experience to give you a well-thought-out answer.”
“It’s not about experience, just say what comes naturally from your heart.”
Lucian pondered Beckenbauer’s words.
“How far, would I go?”
Lucian Faust had a pretty good life up until now. Sure, things weren’t always perfect, but as long as he played his cards right he’d have his entire life laid out in front of him. In that sense, his future success was already guaranteed. And his siblings, he wanted nothing more than for them to live happy lives. That was what had brought him here in the first place, right?
“Would I have killed the thieves here today if it meant protecting Oswin?...”
Lucian glared at Wendel Beckenbauer, a passionate fire burning in his soul.
“Whatever it takes.”
Beckenbauer only chuckled before hopping onto his horse and producing a beaked mask from a pouch on its saddle. The mask resembled that of a plague doctor, specifically the ones used to combat the stench of the dead. However, this mask was unique. The edges were jagged rather than round creating a rather unsettling image of an oversized vulture skull. It was like no plague mask Lucian had ever seen.
Beckenbauer held the mask loosely in his hands, regarding Lucian one last time before placing it upon his face.
“That, is a determined answer, Sir…Faust. Never lose that spirit you have in your heart, but be sure to keep it close. Such thoughts are dangerous these days. Many in Xesbor would wish that passion snuffed out. Do not let harm come to your determination.”
“Of course, and I’m sorry for questioning your reason for attacking them. I’m not sure if I agree with your actions, but if that vial really was important…”
“Allow me to put it this way, Sir Faust. You left the thieves alone because you trusted their word. That is a luxury I have learned I can’t afford. The difference between you and I is our experiences. One day you may come to harbor the same beliefs as I, but I hope that day never comes.”
“I see, thank you for the explanation.”
Beckenbauer lifted his hand in regard and with a slight crack of the reigns began to steer the cart back toward the main road. Lucian’s prior reservations about the man had slowly begun to dissipate leaving him with a sense of respect toward the doctor. Sure, there may have been something a bit off about him, but his words of wisdom had convinced Lucian of his legitimacy. That was until he made one final remark.
“I hope we meet again, Sir Faust. May The Six offer you peace in your coming days.”
“Thank you, Mr. Beckenbauer, I hope your travels are a safe…one…”
Lucian's ability to speak was cut off as his mind once again became clouded by distrust.
“The Six?”
“The Six” or the “The Six Seigammal of Xesbor” was a broad way to refer to a race of beings that once dominated the land of Xesbor. In days long past a race of beings known as the Seigammal lived in harmony with the very concepts that made up the world. With their attunement to the natural way, the Seigammal gradually grew in strength and number until they had blossomed into a massive empire. However, due to reasons that were unknown to even the most diligent of scholars, a massive civil war broke out that marked the end of their dominant reign. When the dust had finally settled, only six members of the once powerful race remained.
Though to this day the last of the Seigammal remained alive, in the immediate aftermath of the war, humans, who had been eternally outshined by their stronger counterparts, were finally able to choose an unobstructed path of existence, a choice that led to the creation of the modern-day nations of Xesbor.
In the northern part of the continent, The Holy Trichotomy preserved the Seigammal culture and placed three of its survivors as their ruling head. They were Janus, the Statis of Order and Chaos, Aurelia, the Lady of Greed and Temperance, and Draven, the Eclipse.
To the east, the Seigammal Eulalie created the kingdom of Kiristadt, before enveloping it in fog and shutting herself away from all contact with the outside world. In the far west, the Seigammal Ignace formed a nation enraptured with fire as he became more and more consumed with the power the world had gifted him. In contrast with the other nations, the central and southern parts of Xesbor shunned the ways of the Seigammal and split into new nations one of which being the precursor to the Vanarros Empire.
Of the Seigammal only one found no place in the post-war world, their name rendered insult first by their counterparts, then by all who walked upon the world. Many in Xesbor even refused to acknowledge their existence outright, so for this man Wendal Beckenbaur to willingly speak of this supposed insult was more than enough to give Lucian pause.
“Mr. Beckenbauer, did you happen to refer to the Seigammal as…oh…”
Lucian stared at the spot where Wendel Beckenbauer had been only a moment ago, only, the alley was utterly void of life save for Lucian, who now stood dumbfounded and very much alone pondering the strange events of the night.