Kaiser returned to town. The night was still young. Pale moonlight washed over the town. Strangely, it mixed with the orange glow of the lamps and created a yellow hue.

As soon as Kaiser walked into town, he saw Kin sitting down in the distance. He quickly ran up to him. He stood in darkness, in one of the alleys between the rows of decrepit houses. The only feature that Kaiser could make out was the yellow glow that his eyes emitted.

“What are you doing outside so late?” Kaiser asked as he looked around, confirming that no one was around to watch him.

“I got scared. . . When I woke up, you weren’t there.”

“Boy, what do you think I am?”

Kin shrugged his shoulders. “A friend?”

Behind one of the buildings, Gustav watched the two. He was less quiet and less inconspicuous than Jean was, but he made sure to hide behind a storage crate which obscured most of his body save for a bit of his head.

“Listen, I’m only acting as your guardian for as long as I’m in this town. It'd be best if you just went on to the next town. If you’re worried about the Draux military pursuing you, only Wiegraf knows why, the east’s where you ought to be. They won’t follow you to Glascaign. At least, not easily.”

Kin looked away from Kaiser, off to where Gustav was hiding, and pointed. Even with the light provided by the lamps, to anyone, Gustav would have just blended in with the darkness. But, Kin could see him clear as day in the darkness.

Kaiser turned to where Kin was looking, then back to Kin. “Is someone there?”

Kin closed his eyes and nodded.

Immediately, Kaiser bolted for Gustav. Gustav got up from his spot and began to sprint away. The hamlet was small, but it was dark, and the light of the lamps didn’t reach behind the houses. Shortly after Kaiser began the chase, Gustav disappeared into the darkness again. The sound of boots hitting the ground, almost in perfect syncrasy, replaced the sound of his steps. Branko and two soldiers emerged from the shadows. They all had their pistols drawn. The soldiers aimed at Kaiser while Branko’s pistol was pointed at the ground.

“Why do you play this game of cat and mouse?” Asked Branko.

“What do you mean?”

“The Glascanian told me about your intentions—how you plan to kill me.”

“He’s the one who made the plan!”

“I care not who made the plan. First, Caligula’s story proves faulty and now you, the only other survivor of Jean’s assault, have come all this way just to kill me. I find your treachery most worth being dealt with right here, right now.”

Branko took aim at Kaiser. A shot rang out, but it was not from the three that had Kaiser in their sights. One of the soldiers dropped. Another shot rang out. The second one dropped to the ground. Branko spun around to where the sounds were coming from as Kaiser drew his revolver and aimed it at Branko.

When Branko turned, he was met with the face of Gustav and a pistol trained on his chest.

“Get down on the ground, now,” Gustav said.

Branko gave no response. He kept Gustav in his sights. But, aiming for him proved difficult. Gustav stood in the shadows Branko had come from. He only knew it was Gustav by how the light of the lamps reflected off one side of his face.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Gustav fired off a shot that passed just by Branko’s head. He commanded Branko get down on the ground, and Branko obeyed. He dropped his gun, kicking it over to Gustav, and kneeled.

“You,” Gustav said as he pointed to Kaiser. “Go back to that kid. We’ll talk later.”

Kaiser understood and turned around to rush back to Kin. He knew he didn’t have the time to interrogate Branko himself. But, once Gustav mentioned him, Branko’s head perked up. “What child do you speak of?” He asked Gustav.

“Kid with yellow eyes. Weird little guy. Now, you’re gonna shut up and come with me.”

Branko faced the ground in disappointment. He slowly arose and turned around as Gustav began to nudge him along.

Kaiser had hurried back to the alley he remembered he left Kin at. Ten, maybe a dozen soldiers stood there with their pistols drawn. Kin was in the grasp of one of them. Out from the shadows Kaiser had walked out from came Gustav with one arm around Branko’s neck and the other pointing a gun to his head.

“What’re you doing with him?” Kaiser asked the soldiers.

“Lieutenant Branko! Are you alright?”

Branko was silent. He did not want to disturb Gustav’s patience in any way. Ever since their meeting in the cellar, Branko knew what kind of man Gustav was. He was the sort of man that terrified Branko the most—the man that had no qualms with their ruthlessness if it meant success.

“Go on, speak,” Gustav ordered.

“I am unharmed,” Branko said.

“You have ten seconds to release the lieutenant,” the soldier holding tightly onto Kin’s arm ordered.

“Or what? You’ll shoot me? Fat chance. You’ll shoot him too. I won’t be the only one going back to Draux in shackles if that’s the case.”

The soldier was silent. He looked to Branko who nodded, assuring him that what Gustav said was right.

“State your conditions for his release.”

“Let Jean go free. You see, your lieutenant lied to me. He told me he’d let Jean go once morning came.”

“But morning has not come.”

“Exactly. You all plan on killing us instead of letting us go. I know how this goes. I’ve been in the forces before. False promises to me are death sentences. Be glad I’ve got a protege to take care of. Speaking of proteges,” Gustav said as he looked over to Kaiser, “Let the cleric’s kid go.”

“Do not do that!” Branko shouted.

Everyone remained silent for a few seconds. In the silence of night, the silence felt much longer. Kaiser broke it, asking why.

“I know not the reason for it, but that child is the true reason we have come to Barbush. You cannot unhand him, even if it means my death. Order of the highest caliber demands it so.”

“Gentlemen, gentlemen,” a voice said.

To the right, from the shadows of the path that led to the church emerged Branko and a stocky man with grey hair and a brown robe with thick twine tied around the waist. The man standing next to the priest was none other than Eldwin.

“You all have dragged this on for long enough. I propose means to break this stalemate of yours.”

“What?” A few people asked in pure confusion.

Eldwin drew his pistol and aimed it at the soldier gripping Kin. He steadied his aim for the head and shot. The soldier’s grip loosened as he fell down to the ground.

“Encore!” Eldwin shouted.

As the soldiers turned their sights to Eldwin, the priest standing right next to him, Hektor, uttered the word, “Light.”

A white light overtook the vision of everyone there. A ringing buzzed in their ears, destroying all other sound. Everyone fell to the ground, unconscious, even Hektor. Only Eldwin remained standing.

“I thank thee,” Eldwin said as he withdrew his pistol and pulled a knife out of his pocket. “And, I thank the gods. The Zett’yri blood within me, it beckons that it be shed. Y’sgar!” Eldwin slashed the palm of his left hand and let the blood drip onto the ground. “Answer my prayers! Destroy this barrier between our planes!”

A darkness blacker than night swallowed the town square. It consumed blindly, taking person and construct with it. With drops of his Zett’yri blood, Eldwin had initiated the sequence. No matter how eldritch or unknown the true cause may have been, Eldwin alone knew he had created the pitch black darkness that overtook everyone’s world. He closed his eyes and began to pray.