[December & Eric Hood]

"I trust everything went well." December said as he reclined comfortably in a large chair in his living room. His winter-blue eyes were lost in the emptiness of the fireplace directly across from him. There was no fire... just a dark vacancy where one would normally be. But, of course, December was no normal man. His tall frame was pack with supernaturally hard muscle, and his pale skin was only a few shades away from matching the perfect whiteness of his short hair.

Wearing a coat to protect him from the extreme chill in the air, Eric Hood stood off to one side, twirling his dagger between his nimble fingers.

"Yeah, boss." he replied. "Scratch one deadbeat, one mage, and about eighteen assorted goons."

"Good."

"We could have handled it ourselves, you know. Me and Lovvorn. Wasn't no need to send the woman and Hars along."

"Of course there was, Mr. Hood. This was an opportunity to test our new associates. How did they perform?"

"Zade? Strong and fast. Stronger than she looks. Brutal, but smart, too. She's got the skills, but doesn't use 'em unless she has to. She likes the do things the hard way."

"You two share some of the same qualities."

"That's why I don't trust her."

"Nor do I."

"Then why-"

"I have my reasons. She will have to earn our trust, just as we must earn hers."

"We don't have time to be earnin' trust. Either she's in or she's out."

"She is an exception."

"Whatever you say, boss."

"What about Hars?"

"Good fighter. Too good."

"Meaning?"

"His moves are too practiced and exact to have picked them up as a thief. Then there's the fact that we made it out of that cabin without either him or Zade asking to search the bodies. Armor and weapons were crap, but nobody even asked to check 'em for gold or valuables. Hars is no thief. He's got a past, I'm sure of it. I'm thinking professional... maybe military."

"A threat to us? A spy?"

"No. I've been keeping an eye on him... he hasn't been talking to any strangers or out-of-towners. Only hangs out with Night's Bloom and his buddies at the PanDemonica. Whatever allegiances he had, they're behind him now. I think he's a thrill-seeker. He's in this for fun, not profit. Just like me."

"I see. Your opinion, then?"

"They both got potential, but they need a little more watchin'. Especially that Zade woman."

"And what of you, Mr. Hood?"

"Me? What-"

"No ill effects from your encounter with Sinterbourne's potion?"

"No... who's askin'? Lovvorn again?"

"Your compatriot has expressed some concern."

"What kind of concerns?"

"He was unusually vague... even for Lovvorn. He did say that you were not sleeping as much as you should be. "

"Hmph. That's just like that little clown to get it backwards. If anything, I've been sleeping MORE than usual. Things are slow... and I'm still getting rested up from when I got hurt-"

"Your injuries are healed, are they not?"

"Yeah."

"You consumed a substance containing enough of the foosh drug to cause immediate addiction. Yet you show no signs of withdrawal. Why is that, Mr. Hood?"

"I have no idea, boss. I guess it effected me differently. But I'm not sneakin' anything on the side, if that's what you're-"

"Of course you are not, Mr. Hood. I would know if you were."

"Well, like I said, I'm fine, no matter what anybody else says. If somethin' was wrong, I'd tell you. Trust me."

December stared silently off into space for several minutes. Eric simply stood and waited. He didn't even think about leaving... he had not been dismissed.

"Call a meeting... two nights from tonight." said December after a while. "With everyone, at the usual place. I want status reports on all our ongoing operations."

"Does 'everyone' include N'Doki?"

"Yes. And Zade as well."

"Okay, boss."

"Go now."

Eric turned and left. December watched him go.

"Trust," he said as the door closed behind Eric. "What an interesting choice of words."

---

[???]

Five horses emerged from the path and halted outside the deserted cabin. It was night, yet only two of the riders held torches. After a silent pause, one rider dismounted. He was tall and thick, with broad shoulders. His bald head glimmered in the torchlight. The man bore no weapons save for the thick metal chain that looped around his waist and over his left shoulder. It was incredibly heavy, and clinked loudly as slowly walked toward the cabin, yet the man carried the weight as if it were non-existent. He paused and looked back to his comrades.

"Wait here." he said. There was no response. None was expected. One of the riders urged his horse a few yards away from the others. The leader turned to this one...

"Go on into town and start making preparations. Here-" He tossed something... a small, smooth stone about two inches in diameter, to the horseman. The horseman snatched it out of the air and turned his horse towards town. He disappeared into the trees without a word.

The leader returned his attention to the cabin. The front door had been knocked almost completely off of the frame. The wood was cracked and splintered, like it had been hit with a battering ram. Yet the impact area was small, consistent with someone kicking the door in. Holding his torch aloft, the stranger entered.

Bodies were strewn about like cordwood. Some were whole, most were not. Every inch of the floor was covered with blood. The stranger ran a gloved finger through the red liquid to test extent of congealing. The carnage had occurred about five or six hours ago.

He examined the bodies further, studying the wounds and the manner in which they had been made. There had been three killers. One armed with a sword. No... the double-cuts on one corpse indicated TWO edged weapons, used simultaneously. Both wielded with extreme strength and accuracy. Another killer had used a single small blade. A dagger. Though the blade was small, it had been used with the skill of a master. A Grand Master. Most of the kills belonged to this one.

The third killer..

The stranger frowned. He looked again at the body before him, then nodded to himself. The third killer was quite a surprise, indeed.

The stranger made his way to the back of the room and opened the door. The cabin's rear room was empty. No bodies... alive OR dead. On the floor was a large pile of ashes in the shape of a man. The remains were surrounded by runed circle that had been scratched into the wood. The lines were rough and shallow... they hadn't been carved by a knife or edged weapon. And yet the design was very precise.

The stranger studied the room for a moment and headed back outside.

"Dead." he said. "Everyone. These... plus the remains we found in the forest... make up the whole entourage."

The men simply stared back at him.

"Looks like we made it just in time."

---

[Theesa]

With much apprehension, Theesa stepped out of the carriage and took her first full breath of Montfort air. It smelled like 'big city'... that not-so-delicate combination of sweat and garbage that seemed to permeate areas where large numbers of people gathered. Theesa sighed. She wasn't a city-person, but this was her last hope. It had taken all the gold she had to book passage; now she barely had enough for one decent meal. Even worse, the caravan had been delayed, placing her in Montfort in the middle of the night as opposed the early evening arrival she had been promised She had hoped to find some employment before nightfall... maybe something with room and board included. No chance of that happening now.

The coachman told her of a place that might offer some generosity to a poor quarter-elf like herself. It was called the Dragon's Inn. So, with nothing more than prayers and vague directions, Theesa set off towards the far side of town.

Every town... even the tiny village where she and her husband had lived... had a 'bad' section. There were always certain streets where people were simply not safe. The smaller and more vulnerable you appeared, the less safe you were. Four blocks from the coach, Theesa knew that she had just stepped into one of those areas. She had no doubts that she presented a perfect target. Her 5'4" frame was thin almost to the point of being unhealthy. She had no weapons, hidden or otherwise. No armor. No companions to protect her. And she had learned from experience that her magical talents were worse than useless in any kind of physical confrontation.

Continuing across the unfamiliar town, Theesa turned a corner to find herself on a street that was completely unlit.

"No." she said to herself. Even her voice was delicate. Almost musical. "No, I don't think so. Small and weak, I may be... but a fool is one thing that I a not."

Theesa turned around and started back. She would find another way to this "Dragon's Inn."

"Hold it right there missy." Two men stood in the street in front of her. One had a crossbow aimed at her chest. The other, the one who had spoke, glared at her, running lusty eyes up and down her small body.

Theesa didn't move. She didn't speak. She had no idea what to do. Before his death, her husband had tried to teach her how to fight... but he didn't quite make it to the lesson on catching crossbow bolts with your bare hands.

"W-What do you want?" she said finally. As if she didn't know.

"Money for starters. Then we'll move on to some other things. Heh, heh."

"I don't have any money. I- I'm poor."

"Guess we'll just have to go right to the 'other things,' then."

Theesa heard a noise behind her. She started to turn, but something knocked her in the back of the head. Everything went white for a second, and by the color slowly bled back into the world, Theesa lay face-down in the street, bleeding from a nasty cut on her scalp. At first she was numb, but the pain returned and began to build. And build. And build. She was getting dizzy...the blood wouldn't stop...

The three assailants were gathered together in front of her. One of them wrapped a fistful of her long, blond hair around his hand and yanked her up onto her knees.

"...help..." she whispered.

"Why you wanna pull her up like that, Jed? S'easier when they're layin' down."

"Oh. Sorry."

One violent shove reintroduced Theesa's face to the dirty, Montfort street.

"...please... leave me alone... I don't have anything..."

"Oh yes you DO, darlin'"

"...but its my first night in the city..." Theesa felt her consciousness swimming around in her throbbing skull. She had a head injury. Delirium was setting in. At least she wouldn't be awake for the worst of it...

"That's no way to welcome a lady." This voice was different. Darker. Who...?

"What's that?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Well, who said-"

"Wait, boys. Look-"

Out of the corner of her eye, Theesa saw what must have been a most spectacular hallucination. A thick cloud of blue smoke was rising out of the ground a few yards away. While she and the thugs watched, the fog lifted into the air and drew itself into a column. Then it began to shape itself into a man. A man in a blue, hooded cloak. The hood was drawn, and his features were hidden behind a strip of cloth that was wrapped around the bottom of his face. His eyes twinkled in the dark confines of his hood.

"What the Hell?"

"Let the lady, go." said the stranger. Theesa was struggling, trying to get her limbs to work. Their clumsy responses simply reminded the thieves of her presence. One of them snatched her up and pulled her close. Theesa smelt the filth and sweat of the thug.

"She mean somethin' to ya?"

"How much you want for her?" added one of the other thieves.

"Let her go... and I'll let one of you live."

"Oh, Ha Ha!" mocked the leader of the thugs.

The stranger reached into his cloak and pulled out a large sword. It was curved, and had a mirror finish on one side.

"I said let her go."

"You know how to use that thing?" said another thug. "'Cause I SURE know how to use THIS!" He raised his crossbow and pointed it at the stranger. "This ain't none of your business... unless you want her afterwards. Get ready for a long wait, though."

"My offer still stands. Let her go now, and I allow one of you to live. Take it or leave it."

"I think we'll be leavin' that one, mate."

"Skewer 'im, Brad."

Theesa heard the *click* of the crossbow... and what happened next could only have been a hallucination.

There was a blue blur, almost like a flash of light, and then a scream from the man with the crossbow. Theesa looked and saw that the man had been impaled through the right shoulder with his own bolt! The stranger had caught it, reversed it, and rammed it into the archer's flesh with his bare hands! But no one could be that fast... could they?

"What!" The thief holding Theesa shoved her away. She staggered backwards, but managed to stay upright. The thieves had their weapons drawn... rusty, dented swords. The stranger was nowhere to be seen.

"It's a TRICK!" shouted the archer. "SHE'S doin' it!" Despite his bleeding shoulder, the archer loaded another bolt and raised the crossbow. This time he aimed it directly at Theesa.

"I wouldn't do that." The stranger had re-appeared, and was now standing right next to Theesa.

The archer fired.

There was another blue flash... then a scream... then four thuds. Two were loud, and the other two were much softer. Theesa blinked, and when she opened her eyes, her muddled brain could hardly understand what she was seeing. Two of the thieves were laying dead in the street. Neither was wearing their head. The archer now had a bolt protruding from his left shoulder to match the one in is right. He was on his knees, being held upright by the stranger.

Seeing her chance, Theesa ran.

[Blaymore]

"Wh-Who are you?" said the archer.

"Death." replied Blaymore. "But I'm letting you live, despite your ignorance. Tell everyone you know that I'M protecting these streets now. Tell them that Blaymore rules the night... and that I am everywhere."

Blaymore shoved the bleeding man away and crushed the dropped crossbow beneath his boot. Then he turned to Theesa.

"You..." he started to say before he realized she was gone. "Damn."

He had no idea how badly the woman had been hurt. She was bleeding... leaving an easy trail for him to follow. And it wasn't as if she could out-run him. Unfortunately she had chose the one direction into which he could not follow. Just two streets over, the squalor of this neighborhood gave way to some of the richest houses in Montfort. That was where the Enemy lived. And He was always watching.

"Whoever you are, girl, you're on your own now."

[Theesa]

She had no idea where she was or how long she had been wandering. Her throbbing head had almost shut down completely, and now her feet were taking her wherever they wanted. She knew she as hurt... she could feel warm blood trickling down her neck from her scalp. Her consciousness swam around in her skull like a ship floundering in a rough sea. She also knew delirium would soon set in... if it hadn't already. So much had gone wrong... and now she was lost. Injured on unfamiliar territory. Where was she? Where was she going? Why was she out here? Why did her head hurt so much? Why was it so dark...

She saw the house looming before her. With her last bit of strength, Theesa mounted the steps , intending to knock and beg for help. She collapsed just outside the door.

A second later, the door swung open. Cold air rushed down the steps and washed over her like a freezing river. Theesa looked up at the man standing there... or was it a man?

So large... white hair...standing there like a statue... that face...

"If Anyone Else Approaches This Door Unannounced-" he began.

Theesa saw the man's face change as he studied her features. His blue eyes grew wide... his expression changed from anger, to shock... and then to something else.

"Jessica?" he said.

Theesa wasn't awake to hear the slight tremble in his voice.

[To Be Continued]