An Albino's Grief

Chapter 1

An Albino’s Greif

The night breeze was welcoming upon the petite girl's face as she sat in a balcony gazing at the waning moon hovering in the night sky above the city of Feywing, a metropolis where many came to learn at the Feywing Academy of Magical Arts. Even when night fell, the metropolis was still bustling in the moonlight. Gently, she pushed up her spectacles, which had begun to slide off her nose; the night breeze tugging on her thigh-length skirt. Every night she enjoyed the view over the metropolis with a book before slinking off to her dorm room, where she usually dealt with her roommate’s scandalous greetings. A sigh came from her as she pondered how Catalina would rile her up this time, whether she deliberately meant to or not.

"C’mon Lily, let’s get this over with so you can get some sleep for classes tomorrow." She muttered as she picked up after herself. Over her shoulder she wore a satchel full of various books and scrolls that she used in her studies. As a young student who graduated last summer from apprentice tier magic, she was now to learn greater magical techniques so that she might join the Mage’s guild and pursue her dream of becoming one of the Magi. Although, try as she might, the timid teenager seemed likely to never succeed. She was clumsy by nature and far too mousy to perform the more daring of magical techniques.

She had also found it very difficult to work with assigned groups because of her unique appearance. Her shoulder-length hair was as white as snow and her skin likewise; her eyes were a pale magenta. She was an albino. But, perhaps her most perplexing characteristics were two tattoo-like etchings she bear.

What ran along the length of her spine was a birthmark that looked to be like that of a centipede. Eerily so, every time she’d move her back, this birthmark moved as fluid as if it was her spine, each vertebra as if it were a section of the creature. On days when she wore a low-neck dress, those that glanced at her from the front could see what looked to be another, smaller design of the creature coiled within the center of her chest.

Gracefully, she stepped into the hallway toward her dorm room. The walk was a quite one and only a few students were still awake and passed by her in the hallway. And, as always, she was given a wide berth. She could see it in their eyes, that they felt repulsed by her strange appearance. Just ignore them. You’re not diseased. She lamented. But I wish they’d see that…

***

I hope the little bookworm gets back here soon. I'm so bored! This sucks! Maybe I can get her to do something fun tonight. I hate how anti-social she is, she needs to lighten up. Thought a beautiful and elf-like creature of athletic physique as she awaited her unique roommate. Impatiently, she tugged on her leather collar, then ran her fingers along her two gazelle-like horns sprouting from her forehead whilst snaking her serpentine tail around her waist in anticipation. The long nightgowns that the school provided were bothersome for her to sleep in due to her tail and how often she would thrash about. Therefore, she wore just her underpants and a sleeveless top on most nights.

Then the door finally clicked open and as a dog to its master, she sat up and pounced on Lily from her bed.

"LILY!! I missed you my sweet little bookworm!" She cried.

"C-C-Cat!?"Lily gasped as the two tumbled out into the hallway, "Why are you not wearing proper sleepwear, again!?" Lily exclaimed as heat crept up onto her cheeks at the sight of the nearly naked, lean and slender built, Catalina now atop her.

"The academy’s nightwear is too restricting." Catalina complained as one of the female students passing by quietly giggled.

"Well...I’m back and as always I’m safe. Can we go inside now? People are staring!" Lily urged. "Besides, I-I need to get to bed now...Tomorrow is going to be a crucial day in my classes. You need to sleep too...I-If you don’t you’ll be exhausted again!" she suddenly scolded, two bystanders snickered. "And people will think strange things about us." Lily bashfully added as she pushed Catalina inside, shutting the door to their dorm room.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead." Catalina retorted as she flipped her long, auburn hair away from her alluring, golden eyes. "And no need to be pushy! You'd think I humiliated you or something." Catalina teased.

"I-In any case I need to go to bed now. G-good night, Cat." Lily stammered as she began to change out of her sienna uniform and into her silken night gown before crawling into bed.

"You suck!" Catalina playfully wined as she flopped onto her own bed and then mumbled something about needing entertainment. But unbeknownst to her, Lily had already allowed sleep to take her.

****

It was half past eleven when the two young children went to visit an old man, an archivist. They both were no older than nine to say the least, one was a boy, and one was a girl. The boy wore a loose, brown tunic with a firm leather belt around his waist and tan trousers that had been cut off around the knees. His coal-black hair was tussled about by the breeze. The young girl was as white as a pearl and her hair was as pure as snow. The only color one could see was her pink eyes and the tawny dress she wore. They soon arrived at their destination and knocked on the door of a small cottage.

"Who is it?" came a hoarse, male’s voice from the other side of the door.

"It’s Vale and I. We came to see if you could help us solve the mystery." The little girl squeaked.

"Ah! Come in, come in my dear." the old man added warmly as he opened the door and ushered them inside. He scanned the desolate street quickly to see if the two children had been followed, then securely closed the door behind them.

The old archivist gazed at the young girl warmly as the reflection of the candlelight danced in the little girl’s spectacles. He stroked his long, grey beard thoughtfully as he patiently waited for her to speak.

"U-um…So can you help mister?" She anxiously asked while comically blowing her long bangs out of her eyes.

"Perhaps child, now, show me this…birthmark…of yours." The man replied.

"Uh…o-okay…" She stammered.

Patiently the aged man watched as she timidly exposed her entire back to him.

Can it be! He thought. There is no mistaking it; this child is the one... Eerily, the old man traced the outline of Lily’s birthmark with his bony finger, causing her to yelp at the unexpected contact.

"You…" he began, "You are the Mistress of Carrion…" he trailed off.

"What is that mister?" asked Vale, his striking blue eyes looking up into the old archivist’s low-pulled cowl. "What’s Lily’s birthmark mean? Is it special?"

"Indeed, it is, boy. It is a very special mark…" The man answered in sinister tones. "Within this marvelous young lady lies a magnificent being! A being whose power in the days of old are said to rival, even surpass, the power of the gods! Within you girl rests the Great Centipede, Llem-Edous!"

"Who’s Llem-Edous?" The two children asked in unison.

"One of the great beings of old…a Primordial of Shadow …" He smirked.

"Vale…Why’s he acting so strange all of a sudden, I’m getting scared…" whimpered Lily as she turned to face the old man. Vale nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Lily felt a sharp pain pierce her chest. She lowered her gaze to where the searing pain in her chest was. The old archivist’s bony finger had been thrust deep into her chest. She never heard his incantations over her own cries of pain.

"Now child, your new life begins. Welcome young mistress to the Brotherhood of the Crimson Centipede. You cannot flee from your fate as our matron, child! He shall be reborn through your flesh and rise anew and reclaim that which is his. As you grow in power, so shall he. And as your flesh matures, the closer he will come to entering the material plane to rule over us, his loyal servants! Exterminating the unworthy and plunging this world into blessed chaos! It is a glorious day indeed!” The maniacal old man cackled.

"LILY! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" Vale cried as he lunged at the fiendish old man, tearing out the cultist’s finger from Lily’s chest.

"…YOU INSOLENT CHILD! YOU KNOW NOT OF THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THE SACRED RITUAL YOU HAVE JUST INTERRUPTED! YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS!!"

"RUN LILY! NOW!"

Those where the last words Lily would hear from Vale’s mouth, ones that would haunt her memory for many years to come, accompanied by the dazzling flash of scarlet light that filled the room, etching the ground with vile, arcane runes activating various summoning circles stained with his blood. He gave Lily one last, fleeting glance before she fled.

Fear drove her, adrenaline sustained her, and sadness mocked her as she ran down the cobblestone road and into the night, enduring the pain as best as her frail body could. Only more horror greeted her as she entered the village. The town was ablaze before her and on the edge of the fire's light loomed grotesque forms more inhuman and more terrifying than anything she had ever seen before. Swords sang as the otherworldly cries of these creatures began the chorus of this ballade of despair, nearing its crescendo filling the midnight air with dread. All was lost and it seemed as though there was nothing left to do other than to join the phantoms of this travesty. Darkness began to swim over her and she began to lose grip on her consciousness from the overwhelming trauma.

Is this death? She pondered, as she fell heavily to her knees, her body drained of all vitality. Rain soon began to fall, as did her body upon the old cobblestone street, slick with ichor. The rain felt nice for what little feeling she had left, as she began to let the shadows of death embrace her. Soon she felt two cold, clammy arms pick her up and carry her away.

"Hurry! There is not much more we can do here! This child needs help immediately!" Lily faintly heard someone order off on the distance.

"By the gods, curse these damnable, vile abominations!" another spoke. The last thing she remembered was looking upon the face of the young man who was carrying her out of that condemned village, his face drenched in blood and water. She remembered a peculiar detail though; his right eye had a deep, fresh wound. His eyes were brown. A soft yet determined expression upon his face. She had thought how handsome he was before unconsciousness engulfed her…

****

"LILY! LILY! WAKE UP!" A voice cried out. Lily’s eyes shot open and scanned the dark dorm room. As she sat up in her bed she felt her cold, sweat-soaked nightgown clinging to her uncomfortably. She brought a hand to her chest and lightly pulled away the soaked cloth off of her skin and peered down at the arcane brand.

That terrible memory… Seven years since then, and I still recall that horrible memory at least every other night. She thought to herself as she traced the outline of the arcane rune etched into her flesh. The coiled centipede…the mark given to those in the Cult of Llem-Edous… Finally, she noticed the two arms gently wrapped around her as well as the weight of a head resting upon her back, and an unpleasant writhing from within her stomach.

"It’s okay now Lily. It was just another nightmare. Everything’s going to be okay now." Catalina whispered softly into Lily’s ear. "In these past three years, your nightmares have gotten worse. I was afraid you’d cast a spell in your sleep and kill yourself…" Catalina whimpered.

"I-I'm sorry I freighted you. I-I need to go to the bathroom." Lily replied, dashing quickly to the bathroom.

Catalina could hear the sounds of Lily's retching in the restroom and thought it unwise to go to her side, terrified to even approach. She did not tell Lily of the strange glowing that emitted from her chest as she thrashed about. The glow illuminated their room and is what had awakened Catalina in the first place. It was something Catalina had never witnessed before.

Catalina soon found herself beginning to lament over the fact that Lily would never want to be around a hell-spawn like Catalina if given the choice. Honestly, who would? Let alone ever fall in love with one, as Catalina had so obviously done with Lily. Silent tears trickled from her face. Why won’t you just allow anyone to help you, Lily? You’re guarding yourself from the few people that truly care about you…

***

"LILY-ANNE ROSE!!" Master Adrian Wingroul bellowed, awakening Lily who had fallen asleep in class.

"Mandrake root and Lacewing!!" she squeaked, her glasses resting cockeyed across her face.

"Sleeping in class again I see." Master Wingroul accused. "Although that is the correct answer for making a very crude love poison, this is history class Lily Anne, not Alchemy." He reminded her before returning to his podium to continue his lecture.

"As I was saying, before we were interrupted by the symphony of a narcoleptic…" some laughter filled the classroom, "…Void, The Ebon King, once had this world within his grasp…"

As the Master pressed on about the fallen evil; she could not help but to silently whimper. She knew this history, she had read about it years prior in an old library book she had borrowed. She was passing this course with the greatest of ease; yet Wingroul demanded she stay in his classes. He always chastised her at every chance he got and everyone else in class simply saw her as a freak of nature. What had amplified her depression was a humiliating day from the previous summer. During the graduation ceremony that marked the next step of their magical studies, the Apprentice level studies. What happened pushed her to a whole new low, to a point of self-loathing bordering suicide.

Again…if only those nightmares would stop and let me sleep…then this wouldn’t have happened. Just another humiliation, another reason for people to reject me…

As she sat there in her seat listening to the ancient, pasty Master ramble on about one of the deadliest beings to have existed, she could not help but to recall that memory.

It had happened on one gorgeous afternoon, while Lily was giving the ceremonial graduation speech. One of the girls within the student body, a pampered human girl named Regina Correz, decided to play a horrible prank on her in front of not only the entire student body, but also in front of the entire township that had come out to the ceremony to congratulate and support their children. Regina had learned of a specific spell from a lecherous mage.

The spell was one that concubines used to disrobe others for their own amusement and so therefore the girl had thought that it would be extremely humorous perform this spell during the middle of Lily’s well-prepared speech. Needless to say, it worked; however, many of the townsfolk took pity upon poor Lily but a few depraved individuals found great pleasure in this; catcalling and laughing, while the few that felt sorry for Lily's predicament attempted to chastise the immoral few. Until they all took notice of her markings.

Only a few were able to see her bare chest to notice the unholy rune etched between her breasts, but many clearly saw the centipede birthmark that ran along the length of her spinal column and recalled a well-known prophecy in the land of Ta`Eel:

When fiends of vermin and man unite,

In graves sown shallow by hell's candlelight.

The Mistress of Carrion shall birth the great blight.

And He-Who-Hungers in forgotten crypts,

Within the many layers of the Abyss.

Will find new life within in his mother's crypt.

By her blood his altar is blessed,

And by her bones his body is kept.

And by her flesh the world shall see,

They are forgotten by love, never to be,

Because the famine of the world

Is asleep within she,

Mother of Llem-Edous,

The Great Centipede.

Such haunting and humiliating memories! If only Vale were still alive, maybe then… I could live my life while bearing these accursed marks of evil! She thought to herself as she fought back her tears. If only…

As the day continued, she was able to avoid a few awkward situations. Although, she tripped in alchemy class, and had fallen prone atop another student, Samuel Hornbourke, who was a rather obese individual with a round face. Samuel’s shaggy, dull, brown hair was usually unkempt, and his glasses were almost always seemed to need constant attention. When Lily had fallen onto him, his heart skipped a beat, and his breath was caught in his throat.

For the past six years Samuel secretly yearned for sweet, innocent Lily. She had been the item of his affection for some time and now, on this day, he had been blessed by the heavens to have felt her small frame and warm body against his own, so close was she that he could even smell her fragrant perfume! It was one step away from his greatest desire, to spend the rest of their lives together…he hoped.

After that incident he followed her around for the rest of the day like a little lost puppy and gingerly offered to do such sweet and traditional things as to carry books for her. He even took an actual lily from botany class with a (poorly) written poem and offered them to her in the hope of becoming one step closer to winning her heart, all of which she refused as politely as possible.

Finally, after escaping Samuel and finishing her classes, she hurried off to do her chores at the library. The Feywing Library was known as one of the largest in the kingdom and often she’d be summoned to aid a patron or to put away returned books. On occasion she’d have to write out a fine or two for late or over-due books. This particular evening went by slowly and every now and again she would pause to pick up a book and skim over to see if it were interesting. Nothing today.

When she had completed her duties for the day, she returned to the dorms to gather fresh clothing and towels to bathe and turn in for the night. As she stepped into the dorm entryway, her roommate, as always, eccentrically greeted her.

"BOOK-WORM!!!" Catalina exclaimed as she tackled Lily to the ground with unbridled affection. "I missed you so much!"

"Catalina! How? What?! You just saw me in math class a few hours ago!"

"But how can I not miss my cute little book-worm?" Catalina quipped.

While on the floor, Catalina had positioned herself in a suggestive manner on top of Lily in order to pin her down. It was these kinds of things Catalina did most to fluster Lily, although Catalina did these things within the bounds of good humor. Lily would usually see it as awkward or humiliating, though Catalina never seemed to quite understand why.

"CAT! CUT IT OUT!" Lily cried out, unable to hide her surprise. Enthralled with Lily’s reaction, Catalina continued to stay put and stare lovingly at her.

"Um…Cat…C-could you please l-let me go in?" Lily asked Catalina as she noticed some students walking by them. It seemed as though they couldn’t help but to stare at the scandalous sight of Catalina pinning Lily to the ground.

"People think things, queer things… about you…a-and I…" Lily stammered to Catalina, unable to hide her humiliation.

"So let 'em…You know you're blushing, right?" Catalina cooed devilishly.

"I’M NOT BLUSHING! I’M EMBARRASSED!!" Lily exclaimed, tears starting to well within her somber, pink eyes.

"Oh! How scandalous! I never knew you officially swung that way snowball!" Cackled a shrill voice Lily knew all too well; Regina Correz. There she stood, taunting Lily by making kissy faces. Regina’s long, golden hair whipped about behind her like a serpent eager to strike.

"At least she could get somebody if she wanted too, unlike the pampered bitch in front of us who can’t find a lover without enchanting him!" retorted Catalina.

"You’re not helping matters Cat!" Lily squeaked as her tears began to streak down her face.

"Tch, I’ve got more important things to do then to bicker with a lesbian with penis envy. I’d watch that forked tongue of yours Hell-spawn, you should have been slain years ago." Regina replied in malice as she wandered off.

"That…good fer nothing…bitch!" Catalina hissed to Lily, who was still trying to wiggle away from Catalina’s now very firm grasp.

***

Eventually Lily managed to squirm free of Catalina in order to fetch her bathing materials. Since that graduation day last summer, she had developed a routine of bathing alone. She never wanted anyone to see her marks ever again.

As she sat in the water cleaning her body, she began to reflect on herself yet again, focusing now on her physical development.

Since her body grew and matured, the mark upon her back seemed to develop more as well, just as the old cultist had said. She now feared that it might truly be sentient and affect her mind in some way. The more she reminisced, the more she recalled pulsating waves of agonizing pain along her spinal column that seemed to come out of nowhere. There would also be times the arcane mark on her chest would burn and bleed as if she were a stigmatic. None of these she could understand or figure out as to why it happens.

"‘Forgotten by love, never to be, because the famine of the world is asleep within me.’ Why is it…that I had to be born…with an ancient…evil…sealed within me…?" she questioned.

"B-because it makes you…who you are…" offered a voice from the entrance.

Startled, Lily turned and instinctively shot a silvery bolt of crackling arcane energy in the direction of the entryway. The deadly blast hit the top of the structure, scaring the Hell-spawn out from the cover of the foliage that was within the bathhouse.

"Catalina!? What are you doing in here! If I would have hit you with that, you could have been severely hurt, or worse!" Lily scolded.

Suddenly aware of what just transpired, Lily began to slowly back away from Catalina as realization dawned on her; terrified of losing the closest thing to a friend she possibly had. She had never told anyone about this and assumed the worse. She had absentmindedly spoken aloud to the seemingly empty bathhouse and revealed her darkest and most terrifying secret.

"Cat…" Lily began as tears came trickling down her face,

"…you’re all I… I-I don’t want …plea-" Lily could never finish the words she wanted to say. She just broke down and began to weep.

Catalina threw all caution to the wind and ran to her, wrapping her arms around her and pulling Lily in close. Lily soon found herself locked in an embrace with Catalina.

"Stupid bookworm…" Catalina whispered softly into Lily’s ear. "… W-why couldn’t you tell me this? What were you so afraid of? In a way, we are the same…you and I…"

Lily looked into Catalina’s golden eyes that now shimmered as tears welled within them. That’s when Lily realized, as a Hell-spawn; Catalina had an infernal bloodline that would be passed on through future generations. It wouldn’t matter how diluted it became; all of her descendants would continue to be born bearing some fiendish abnormality signifying their ancestor’s meddling with the denizens of the Netherworld.

"I-I’m so sorry Cat...I‘m so sorry…"

"There, there…I’m here for you to cry on. And I swear to you that…as long as I draw breath, I’ll be there for you. I understand…" Catalina reassured her. Lily whimpered, holding onto her tightly.

"This is what real friends do. I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe. I swear it. Please Lily, let me be close to you…I want to be your friend…I feel such a strong connection with you…"

Lily paused and looked again into Catalina's beautiful golden eyes, "O…okay…I’ll try to be close to you; b-but why? "

After a momentary pause, Catalina began to curiously run her finger along Lily’s back, tracing the outline of her curse mark. Startled, Lily arced her back at the abrupt motions and asked, "W-what are you doing Catalina? Don’t do…that!" as a brief flashback of that night ran through her mind.

"So, this is the mark that ostracized you? I know it’s a delicate topic for you…but do you know what it…is? You were mumbling when I came in, and then I heard you say something about an ancient evil." asked Catalina. "If you would like to talk about it…I’ll listen…if you’ll let me…"

Lily turned to look back to her and pondered for a moment if it’s about time she shared her past with another.

"O-ok…" Lily decided, then told Catalina all about Vale, the archivist, and the events of that horrid night.

***

Slowly the two crept side by side cautious to not wake the now slumbering students as the winds outside the dorm rooms howled menacingly. Lily shuddered as the violent winds slammed against the building. It reminded her painfully more of that terrifying night, when she had lost everything that she considered precious.

Once the two had returned to their room and readied themselves for bed, Lily (who was still emotionally unstable from her ordeal) bashfully asked Catalina if the two could sleep together on her bed. Catalina was taken aback by this question and could only stare back dumbfounded at Lily.

"You could actually calm me down…when you hold me…and I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep well tonight…" Lily explained.

The question had caused Catalina to recall the memory of when she had first met Lily, who was eleven at the time. On that day, standing alone under a great willow tree; is where she first met Lily. Her fair white hair and porcelain skin was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The first things she had said to Catalina were:

"Hi. I-I'm Lily. What's your name?"

"I-I'm Catalina. Nice...to meet you…"

It was one of Catalina’s most cherished memories of the nymph-like albino.

The imp smiled back at her warmly and sweetly answered, "Of course I can. I don’t mind that at all.", then went over to Lily’s bed and crawled in alongside of her, gently wrapping her arms around the trembling Lily to comfort her.

Good night sweet little bookworm. Sleep well. I swear I’ll always be here for you no matter what. After all, I will never forget how you saved me from my own isolated hell. I will protect you with my life if I have to. As long as I can be by your side…nothing else matters to me…

That night, the two slept together side by side and for the first time and for the first time in over seven years, Lily comfortably fell asleep; cradled within Catalina's loving embrace.

*****

Lighting streaked across the skies and thunder roared overhead as a man braved the storm. His gambeson long coat protected him against the weather and his blackened chainmail hauberk atop, from everything else. His hooded cowl did well to prevent the rainwater from clouding his vision and his leather face mask kept the cold wind from lashing at his face. It had been many years since last he had seen a storm of such ferocity and the first he had to brave two hours past nightfall. But he needed to make it to the village of Midgar as soon as possible.

What started as a standard trip to Feywing Metropolis soon became an urgent request of a now deceased knight. The fallen warrior had informed Gabriel that the village of Midgar was located a day's travel outside the wall of Feywing Proper. The village had an urgent request for the Warriors of the Jade Circle to send for help to protect them against a small, unidentified military force that had been heading in the direction of the village; and how there have also been whispers of what a few of the locals claimed to be a strange and monstrous insect-like creature. They had only caught a glimpse of the beast, so the reports varied. The knight, named Isaac Fleischer, had family in Midgar and thus had joined the mission with his other brothers and sisters in arms without a moment’s hesitation.

“Please traveler, at the request of a spent man, would you please…travel to Midgar in my stead? Please…save my wife and children. You have the look of a warrior about you. My wife…her name…it’s…Marlene...t-tell her…I…sent you…”

These were the last words the man had spoken, just before the rain began to fall, masking the tears that had begun streaming down his own face. Those final words echoed through Gabriel’s mind, haunting him. It was only happenstance that he had come across the dying man, and he had difficulty determining what caused the wounds upon his body. Logic reasoned he had to have been ambushed by a herd of large, predatory animals in order to have been brought down. He was a warrior of the Jade Circle after all! And what of his companions; what had happened to them? Too many things were not adding up, and this worried Gabriel.

Taking shelter under a nearby bridge, Gabriel pulled out the map he had acquired from the knight's satchel and lit a lantern to read by. According to the map, the village itself was two miles away yet. He could make it, although if it were not for this blasted storm he might have already arrived there!

For the next two hours, he pressed on through the storm until his destination was finally met. One building in particular caught his eye. It was a two-story home, perhaps one that belonged to the Gentry of this village, and so he knocked. After rapping upon the door, one of the inhabitants finally opened the door.

“Oi! Why ‘ave ye come a knockin’ betimes! Durin’ a storm no less t’boot! Ye a tosspot or jus’ touched in the ‘ead?! Ruddy, bloomin’ bastard…” hollered the man that had just answered the door. His candle shed only enough light to display vague details. He was a lanky old man standing no taller than to the top of Gabriel’s chest. He wore a long linen night gown and cap; both rather plain.

“I am terribly sorry to disturb you at such an inconvenient hour, but if you could allow me entry, please? I am but a weary traveler given a dire quest; shelter would be nice, at least till the rain ceases.” the traveler asked; his words laced with urgency.

Sensing the importance of his words the old man allowed the traveler entry. “Aye…come in then. Ye best be tellin’ me true. Is nearly dawn, it tis. C’mon, c’mon…follow me in then! Methinks rousin’ the wench be in order. ‘Ave a seat. Master shan’t be pleased bein’ roused at this ‘our either.” The man warned, grumbling to himself as he went to fetch his master.

“Thank you.” Gabriel replied.

As he looked around the room, whilst awaiting the head of this household to meet with him, a strange sound from outside the house alerted him. Quickly, he ripped open the door and glanced outside, only to see the falling curtain of rain. What was that noise just then? He pondered to himself, closing the door cautiously.

Judging by the upholstery bearing a coat of arms, his hunch that this was the Gentry’s home seemed to indeed be correct. The room was a fairly standard rectangular room. Off to the one side was a fireplace flanked by three sofas and in the center sat a coffee table with various manuscripts strewn atop it.

At the other end of the room sat a harp amid a circle of stools; There was a small hallway straight ahead that lead to another room, the very one in fact that the old man had shuffled down.

After fifteen minutes had passed, he heard voices coming from down the hall. One was the old man’s heavily accented voice, the other spoke in a more formal dialect. The two figures came into view within the room in which the traveler had been patiently waiting in. A charming man, clean cut and wearing fine linens, entered the room first.

“Pray tell, why have you come at such an absurd hour requesting lodging when over yonder is an inn? My servant says that you claim to be on a dire quest? Explain yourself stranger.” The man demanded.

“Please, forgive my intrusion. Are you this village’s lord?”

“That would be so. I’m Sir Reginald Moridin Sethfield the III. And who might you be stranger?”

“You can just call me Gabriel; I have come across a knight by happenstance, a member of the Jade circle,” The Gentry’s agitated demeanor wavered at the mention of this.

“I found him during his final hours, mauled by some kind of beast. He had asked for me to come here in his stead...and to inform his family of their loss. It was his wish for me to assure their safety, as well as the safety of this village.” Reginald looked grief-stricken now, his eyes shifting to and from Gabriel, then to his elderly servant.

“Prithee sir...Gabriel, what be the name of this Knight?” Reginald asked somberly.

“Isaac. Isaac Fleischer, Milord.” He responded, and then removed the satchel that had been Isaac’s.

“Everything is in here. His signet ring, the reports, a map, and the letters his wife and kids have sent him. I removed his necklace as a keepsake to the family as well.” and removed them from the bag. The chain was made of fine silver and dangling at the end of it was a jade ring about an inch in diameter with Isaac’s full name etched upon the outer most part. There was a long pause before either man spoke.

As Sir Reginald was given the personal effect of the fallen warrior, he lamented, “Isaac…was a dear friend and skilled warrior. It would have taken more than some wild beast to slay him.”

“Master, if this be true, then what could’ve done ‘im in? An can we truly trust this man ‘ere?” The old servant questioned, pointing an accusing finger at Gabriel.

“Mungus, Isaac had a great gift when it came to reading people. Verily, N’er would he send a stranger he himself could not trust.” He responded with grim uncertainty.

“I don’ trust’em milord.” Mungus retorted.

“You have made that quite clear. But if Isaac trusted Gabriel…then so shall I.” then he turned to face Gabriel, “In faith, do not make me regret doing so.” He said coyly.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a family to deliver some bad news too. There is a tavern not too far from here. Normally I would offer you room and board, however my home is currently filled with those within this village that have lost their homes” and with a nod, he left, leaving Mungus to show Gabriel to his next destination.

***

The rain had finally begun to let up as Gabriel quickly trudged through the town into the tavern he was told of. He was thirty paces away when he saw it, albeit a dilapidated one. The place was nearly lifeless when he arrived.

Now, time to get a bit of information from the locals as to what is going on here, maybe even some information regarding the Mistress of Carrion.

Inside the tavern very few were gathered. Presumably those who would go through hell and back just to satiate their need for alcohol to drown their sorrows with drink as they saw fit.

Up at the bar stood one of the most intimidating barkeeps that Gabriel had ever seen in all his travels. He was at least seven feet tall and most likely around five hundred pounds (his belly made up the bulk of it) and was about as attractive as an Orc. He stopped cleaning the tankard he held and looked up at the newcomer.

"Oi! Ye best leave; yer kind ain't welcome 'ere stranger!" He bellowed at Gabriel, who, by now, was used to this kind of treatment.

"Look, I just came in to get a drink and some food. I've been wandering the dusty roads of this providence for a while now. I've got money."

"Look 'ere boy, we's just been raided a fortnight ago. We is lucky we made it out with what we did, ye can't espect us to be welcoming to some random stranger just walkin inta town dressed all suspicious-like! Beat it 'afor I call on the town guard!"

"Lay off’em Curbert! He ain't tried kill no one yet. Let 'em be, yous be need’in all the business you get after that there raid." called out one of the patrons; a thin man, with a long mane of straggly, gray hair and a similarly unkempt beard.

"Keep outta dis Willis. It done got nothin to do with ye." Curbert fiercely retorted.

"Well, can you at least give me some information regarding fiend supposedly stalking this land?” Both men fell deathly silent.

"Why you be askin’?" Curbert nervously asked.

"I’m just trying to be of aid."

"Are ye now?” Yet another patron called out. However, this patron was an elf of ebony hue who wore a fine suit of leather armor and was armed with a claymore of equal quality. Across his shoulders he wore a finely crafted, bear pelt fashioned after the likeness of a cloak. His grey hair was braided into a thin ponytail and to Gabriel’s surprise, wore the rest of his mane of hair as a mohawk that lay off to the right side of his head.

"To whom may I be speaking to?"

“It dinne matter, but I c'n give ye further information.”

With a bit of trepidation and annoyance, Gabriel replied, "So why is such a well-off patron tainting his reputation being in a tavern with the local rabble? Surely you’d be safer at your estate”.

"There be nothin' left fer me there. It t'was destroyed durin' the raid. I have a relative that may be willin’ ta take me in, but I would need the approval of Master Feywing. If ye could escort me to Feywing, I’ll tell ye wha' I know.”

"Very well, you have a deal….?”

“D’Jade. Ma' name is, D’Jade Warröd.”

***

Outside of Midgar, within the surrounding forest, a hellish abomination prowled about. From a distance it silently observed the town and its inhabitants behind its multifaceted eyes, The creature busied itself with what little remained of its last kill, gnawing here and there on what had once been a human arm. As it ate, it remained focused on the clearing near a well-traveled trail in Hope of another meal. Humans made for easy prey, but they could be dangerous as well. Suddenly it became very still as the sound of the nearby brush drew its attention. It tensed, its spindly limbs flexing and its curved talons digging deeper still into what remained of the man it had killed earlier. Stealthily, it sank down into the foliage and began its trek home to the hole that it had crawled out of; as now the night would soon come to an end and the beast would need to return to its earthen home.