He had to forgo his black and sapphire suit, hiding it under some debris in a nearby alleyway. He retrieved his civilian attire from his hitched-up rented palfrey. He wore the golden doublet that he had intended to wear at the Jade Palace before his termination. A Night Fang would stand out in a ballroom somewhat. He did not like leaving his suit, especially if he was facing the Inferno. Alas, time was no ally of his, which left him little choice. He could hear the music from outside the theatre. The party sounded truly underway. He paced out of the alleyway, feeling far too vulnerable.

The moon glowed across the wide and bustling street of White Raven. Carriages were lined up and dozens of people were crossing past the torch-lit streets. The queue outside the Mary-Daven Theatre’s entrance seemed to stretch out up to a mile. Each nobleman and noblewoman that joined it were in resplendent doublets and dresses, sprinkled with vibrant colours. All of them wore fanciful masks resembling jesters, long-beaked birds, foxes, and other woodland creatures. It had to be a costume party, Hideo thought in agitation. It was as if Elizabeth wanted to die.

The Countess had been gossiping about this night ever since Hideo arrived at the Jade Palace. This Masquerade Ball was her magnum opus that she had been sculpting for months prior. Perhaps if he hadn’t been cut loose from his position at the palace, he would have been invited. Perhaps not. Hideo would never know for sure.

Regardless, he had not the time to queue and argue his way in. He turned back into the alleyway and climbed up the side of the theatre’s wall, digging his scarred fingers into grooves and crevasses left by loose bricks. He climbed over a marble parapet and walked across the balcony. He could see through the large glass roof. The ball had hundreds of guests, all masked and in extravagant finery. Even in his most formal alchemist garb, he would stand out as underdressed.

He saw one guest stood over the far end of the balcony casting his gaze over the lit-up city blocks. As Hideo approached the man, he noticed the white and gold jester mask pushed up over the crown of his head. His moustache was finely cut, and he was smoking a pipe with fumes of Nightbliss floating into the night air. His doublet was red and black, and he wore a pair of purple winkle pickers with a jingling bell at each tip. The man looked Hideo up and down. “Fine night for some air,” he said amiably. He took another toke from his pipe and coughed out strawberry-smelling smoke. “I did not know that they invited Arkovians to this event.” He turned and offered a gloved hand to shake. “Reginald Cornwallis. Cotton Merchant and property owner.”

Hideo accepted the gesture and gripped his hand firmly. “I am truly sorry,” he said. He grappled his arms around the Merchant’s throat and covered his moustached mouth. The Merchant meekly slapped and struggled for a few moments before slumping into Hideo’s arms. Hideo delicately lowered him to the ground. The man would only be unconscious for a few hours and would only awaken with a slight headache, yet Hideo still felt profoundly guilty to be literally stripping the poor fool of his dignity. He donned the Merchant’s black and red doublet, pulled up the winkle pickers to his ankles and then placed the white and gold jester mask over his face. The cap and bells at the top of the mask jingled and chimed. Perfect garb for trying to out-sneak assassins. He did not have the most subtle of costumes. He knew it would have to suffice.

Hideo descended the theatre’s stairway into the ballroom. The bannisters were gilded, and paintings of lords and monarchs were hung across the walls. He could hear singing flowing through the corridors like a fine mist. He noticed two watchmen standing at the end of one hallway. Hideo swiftly turned in the other direction, following the music. He could hear the strings of a lute being picked, a harp being strummed, drums beating, and the whistling of a flute.

He found masses of masked nobles gathering under a large archway. Hideo blended into the rabble, the bells around his jester mask and the ends of his winkle pickers jingling with every step he took. The chimes were drowned out by the music as he flowed within the crowd into the ballroom. He brushed shoulders with a man in a silver fox mask that turned and glared at him. Hideo’s jester mask flicked away as he gently pushed himself past a noblewoman wearing a large white peruke and a cat mask. She twirled around in her purple dress and gave out a playful hiss as he passed her. Hideo was not used to this world. The rich’s customs, the opulence. When Hideo gazed upwards, he saw women wearing domino masks hanging from the ceiling attached by velvet ropes. They spun and twirled in the air with grace, and no one seemed to notice or care if they fell.

Over by a nearby stage the band was playing, being led by a purple-haired woman in green leggings and a red beret. She was the only one unmasked as she picked at a lute. The harpist beside her had donned a squirrel mask and strummed shining strings, whilst the drummer behind them wearing a rabbit mask seemed to be in his own museful world as his fingers slammed against the drum’s skin with unnatural speed. The song was slow, harmonious, the bard’s calming words soothing the masked nobles that danced and twirled around Hideo with their partners.

Bring me summer, bring me leaves,

that glow green like New Jade reeds,

The road was long, the journey cold,

Bring me New Jade’s light before I grow old,

He had to focus, take his mind off the wonderment. He needed to find Elizabeth before the Inferno did. He scanned around the ballroom, pushing past masked couples and drunken nobles. He looked above again, ignoring the dancers that spun in the air, up and down like winding yarn. There were groups of nobles gathered around various balconies overlooking the entire ballroom, all masked. Damn, near everyone was masked.

My body is wounded, my mind aches,

Show me the way to New Jade’s Embrace,

One figure stood out amongst the nobles by the nearest balcony. Hideo felt his stomach sting, his heart pound. Dread took him by the dancefloor. The figure swirled a glass of wine in one hand. His jacket was red and embroidered with golden buttons. His mask resembled a velociraptor’s skull, white as curdled milk.

Hideo shoved his way past the crowds, far more impolitely than he had done before. He needed to get to that balcony. Elizabeth was indeed in mortal danger and Hideo did not intend to fail her like he had her father. His instinct was to climb the wall beside the balcony but refrained, knowing that every eye would be on him. The Inferno did not know of his presence yet. He meant to keep it that way until he had the raptor cornered.

He stepped back into the ballroom’s surrounding corridors. He found a watchman guarding the nearest stairway. The guard raised his hand when he saw Hideo approaching. “Halt, friend. The balconies are exclusively for special guests of the Countess. Do you have a pass?”

Hideo felt around the pockets of his newly acquired doublet in the hopes that Reginald Cornwallis might have been fortunate enough to possess such a pass. He had not. Behind his jester mask, Hideo chuckled jovially at the watchman. “I must have misplaced it back at my apartment-” He sprang to the side and vaulted over the stair’s gilded banister, dashing upwards, bells jingling. He could hear the watchman’s rattling armour giving chase behind. He had to lose him quick. Hideo could still hear the bard’s melodious voice.

The rivers glow green, beauty, and sights unseen,

He had made some distance with the watchman when he reached the top of the stairs. He swiftly blended himself into a group of noblemen wearing similar jester masks that were gathered around a table. They were throwing dice and drunkenly yelling. Hideo ensured that his back was facing his pursuer. He glanced to his side to see the watchman aggressively pushing past attendees in the other direction. With the armoured guard out of sight, he slipped past the jesters and manoeuvred through the other special guests and towards the balcony. He was close. His heart was thumping rapidly. He could feel his arm stinging and his stomach churning just from the memory of the pain he had endured at the man’s hand.

He pushed the crimson curtains aside. The Velociraptor was gazing out over the balcony’s edge, seemingly admiring the band. There were other masked nobles stood around in domino and animal masks, making idle conversation with one another. It was the only chance he had. Time for discretion was a dwindling luxury. He had him. He had to strike whilst the opportunity was present.

Sunlight shimmers by day, jade light flickers by night,

Hideo pushed past the gossiping guests and pounced. He grabbed the Velociraptor from behind. He kicked in the back of his leg and heard a howl come from inside the raptor skull. Hideo threw the fiend to the floor. He heard the surrounding nobles gasping in horror. It didn’t matter. He had him. The Thane of the Inferno, at his mercy, and away from Elizabeth. He pulled off the raptor skull mask. The face that looked at him was old and frail. With thick grey bushy eyebrows, and wrinkly skin. He stared up at Hideo with wide-eyed horror, mouth agape. Something isn’t right…

He pulled both of the old man’s hands together in front of him. Both hands were bony, and each possessed an index finger. Behind his jester mask, Hideo cursed loudly in Arkovian. He picked up the mask and flashed it in front of the terrified old man’s eyes. “Where did you get this?” he demanded, his vocal modulation adding fire to his voice.

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This only terrified the old man further and the witnessing nobles fled from the balcony, calling for the watchmen. The frail old man’s hands were trembling. “It was- it was given to me.”

“Where?”

The old man was too tongue-tied to get words out. “A-ah-at the entrance.”

Hideo looked up over the balcony. He started to see it now. A man in an identical raptor mask was flirting with a woman in red near the band’s stage. Another was serving wine to a group of patrons. A third man in a skull mask was occupying an adjacent balcony on the other side of the ballroom, giving applause to the singing bard below.

No, no, no, no….

Break free from crimson chains, enter New Jade’s light,

Hideo finally saw the Countess by the main theatre stage at the end of the ballroom. One that triumphed over the band’s meagre one. The exclusive stage seemed to be couples dancing together. A horn gave out from nowhere and the dancers would seamlessly swap partners in a swift rhythmic movement. Elizabeth was amongst them, in a forest-green dress and a sparkling green domino mask. Her white hair flowed about freely as she spun from the arms of one masked partner to the next. He couldn’t let anyone in a raptor skull get near her, whether they were simply duped guests or not.

“Oi!” The bells on his jester mask jingled as he flicked his head back to see two watchmen running onto the balcony. They were carrying specially made metallic blackjacks. Hideo leapt from the balcony’s side, grasping a large velvet curtain and sliding downwards. Crowds of nearby nobles looked up from the ballroom floor and gasped in wonder, believing it to be part of the event. Nobles applauded as he let go of the purple threads and rolled onto the marble floor. Hideo picked himself up in his stride as if nothing happened. He needed to get away from the scene he had just caused and out of the watchmen’s sight.

He merged himself into the crowds facing the performing band. The bard flung her purple hair back as she spun and strummed her lute, letting out a high falsetto. The drums were beating faster.

You have come far,

He pushed against the tide of attendees, becoming more forceful the closer he got to his next target around the back of the smaller stage. He could hear curses being muttered at him from behind masks as he shoved and brushed shoulders against the exorbitant finery each noble had purchased. He broke out of the crowded swarm and dashed towards the other skull-masked figure. The man who may or may not have been the Velociraptor was now flirting with a different woman in a white dress wearing a bird mask. Hideo couldn’t take any chances. He tackled the man to the ground and pulled off the raptor skull. A younger man this time. Yet giving a similar bewildered look that resembled a cat being caught drinking from the wineglass. Hideo lifted up the man’s hands. Both of them had index fingers. Another decoy. He felt the woman in the white dress slapping at his back from behind, calling him a brute.

Do not feel lost…

Hideo stood and frantically gazed at the hundreds of masked people around him, desperately seeking another raptor skull. A horde of dancers crashed into him and swirled around. He tried breaking past them. It was as if he were drowning, being sucked into the abyss. Hideo threw what little etiquette he had out into the wind and pushed himself over one of the dancer’s shoulders, who cursed at him as he gazed over to the main stage to ensure that Elizabeth was still there. She was. Dancing with another man…

No… Spirits no, don’t do this!

*

The musicians ramped up into another song. The drums began to beat faster, the tempo snapping sharper. Elizabeth Woodard felt a rush as her partner spun her in a circle. The music took her. It made her elated. The wine certainly helped too. Their hands interlocked again. She stared at the man’s mask. The golden face of a fox was looking back at her.

She tilted her head and fluttered her eyelashes, which scraped against her domino mask. “Lord Byron?” she asked playfully.

The man in the fox mask flung his head back and laughed. “My Lady, you are too good at this.” He spun her around. The drums were beating faster, the rapid whistles of the flute filling the ballroom with exuberance. Lord Byron was certainly an eligible bachelor, but far too vapid for her tastes. He did have rhythm, though, Elizabeth had to grant him that.

Over the drums, strums, and whistles, a horn rang out across the stage. Lord Byron spun away from her, and she twirled into the embrace of another. This one was more of a question. She couldn’t see any of the mystery man’s face from behind that ghastly mask. It was more of a helmet, in the shape of some repulsive lizard’s skull. His jacket was crimson, with golden buttons clasping it shut. He had gaudy yellow epaulettes hanging about each shoulder. Perhaps he was a soldier, although that hardly narrowed it down. He interlocked his gloved hand with hers and spun her. She frowned. He was only dancing with one hand. The other he had around his back, as if he were half-arsing it. “Perhaps we would flow better using both our arms?” she suggested, raising an eyebrow above her black and sparkly green domino mask.

The drums smacked rhythmically, the flute’s tunes immersing around them like swift smoke as they twirled together. There was no more singing. Just a rapid beat and she could feel the other dancers flaring around them. The mystery man chuckled. “I believe a gentleman should always have a free hand readily available in case he must arm himself.”

He spun her again, quite sharply. She twirled back and crashed into his chest. She grabbed onto his arms to keep her balance. He had strong arms. “I am acquainted with everyone on this stage, yet I cannot put my finger on you,” she questioned.

The lizard skull tilted. She could not see behind the darkness in the eye sockets as much as she tried. It leaned in close. “Then I must have a particularly impressive disguise.” He spun her again. The torchlights blurred above her. She felt dizzy.

He took control and guided their movements. He was only using one arm, yet their dance was deft. When she twirled back into his embrace, he swiftly took her in his arm and flung her. She lurched backwards. As sharp and unexpected as that was, she felt safe. From her upside-down view, she could see the other dancers on the stage becoming distracted and envious of them. It was delicious. It was her masquerade ball, after all. She organised it. Every bloody eye should have been on her. The mystery man pulled her back into his embrace. “You look absolutely captivating, Countess,” he said.

She felt warm inside. She was used to getting insipid compliments like that all the time from so many gormless men. This one felt… different. There was an aura about this one. Not quite friendly, yet so alluring. “You’re starting to impress me too, Sir.” She gave him a devilish smirk.

He raised his one free arm, and she twirled under it, her extravagant dress blossoming in the brewing air. The drums did not relent. They seemed to be taking the lead over the other instruments. They banged and banged like a war song. She enjoyed it. It felt avant garde. He pulled her back in. “If only Cynthia Barlet could see you now,” he said.

Elizabeth frowned at that remark. What an odd choice of a name. She had barely known Hugo’s former wench. She was starting to dislike the darkness in those large eye sockets. His voice sounded familiar.

“It’s a shame she’s a bit too charred for dancing now,” he hissed venomously. The air went out of her as she felt a burning sensation in her abdomen. She gazed down to see a steel claw impaled through her green dress and corset. Dark blood was seeping down her threads. My dress, she thought, as she felt incredibly faint. My beautiful dress…

*

“Get out of the way!” Hideo hissed in his modulated voice as he pushed and shoved his way past the last wave of masked nobles. He was nearly at the stage, but his heart sank when he saw that he was too late. The Velociraptor already had her in his grasp.

He was unable to see what was going on. They appeared to just be talking. There was still hope. He burst past the last group that was mingling right at the main stage’s end. He was extremely forceful, pushing past with enough impact that he knocked one nobleman to the floor. He leapt onto the stage and ran.

The white raptor skull turned towards Hideo’s direction. He stood to the side and yanked his claw from Elizabeth’s stomach. The Countess fell to the ground, her dress turning into a sprawling green puddle on the dancefloor. The dancers around the stage began to take notice. That was when the screaming started. The Velociraptor ran past the maroon stage curtains and disappeared.

Hideo waded his way through the pandemonium. The music had stopped. All he could hear was screaming and hundreds fleeing. He forcefully pushed the few nobles gathered around Elizabeth aside. He lifted her. Blood covered the palms of her hands, the sides of her dress. The veins around her face and wrists were already a lime green. The bastard must have given her a higher dose. “Elizabeth,” he pleaded in Hideo’s voice. “Can you hear me?”

The Countess was smiling deliriously. Her green eyes rolled over to meet his. She lightly chuckled. “Hideo…” she said distantly. They rolled to the back of her head. Her skin already felt ice cold, her hands stiff. She no longer blinked. Hideo stood. He ran to the backstage.

He swiftly descended the stairs behind the backstage curtains. They took him down an array of tunnels and corridors. He caught sight of a red flash swooping down the end of a narrow and deteriorated hallway. The Tiger gave chase. I’m going to kill him, Hideo thought resolutely. Pax be damned, he dies tonight!

He found an iron gate swung open. The tunnel beyond was barely lit. He could see the raptor skull dashing in the distance. He chased. It was deathly silent. Damp and cold. He could hear dripping sounds echoing around him as he pressed forward. When he reached the tunnel’s end, he was met with a ladder that descended into the city catacombs.

Hideo slid down the ladder, sinking deeper into the darkness. When he reached the bottom, he caught a glimpse of a shadow moving past a dimly lit sconce at the far end of one of the tombs. The flames almost blew out as he swarmed past. He encountered stone stairs. He jumped down them in one swoop and ran through the narrow stone corridors. He was getting closer. The Thane was in his sights, running ahead in the dark.

There was an open iron gate in the distance. The Velociraptor slashed his venomous claw against a dangling chain as he jumped past the gate. The chains clanged wildly. The gate swung shut and locked with an echoing clank. Hideo slammed his hands into the rusted bars. His mark stood there on the other side, staring at him with those eye sockets filled with darkness. Hideo tightened his grip around the prickly bars. Blue sparks and lightning flung in every direction, lighting up the gloomy tunnel they were standing in. Sparks flared and hissed. Hideo started punching the gate, and the sparks flashed down the tunnel with every hit he gave. Lights flashed. The clangs of fist to iron echoed. The gate did not give in. The sparks faded away and Hideo could hear his own desperate panting. His torn and burnt gloves were still clenched around the rusted iron.

His mark stood there unfazed. The white raptor skull tilted slightly, the blackened sockets appearing almost pitying. “The jester outfit suits you, Night Fang,” he said, his gravelly voice slipping for a moment. The Velociraptor walked away into the darkness.