An Important Delivery

Bleak, gray sky peeked through the green pine canopy overhead, casting a gloomy pallor over the forest floor. The shadow of a man flicked from tree to tree, keeping to the darkness gathering around the tall, wide trunks. The pine needle bed of the forest floor crackled under his feet as he sped from cover to cover. The scent of pine sap clung to his hand, and pine needles stuck out from his hair. He moved quickly, only pausing briefly under each tree to scout his path to the next, eyes wide and alert. The man's dark, shabby clothes were the only things he bore, save a small, square package wrapped in brown paper that he had tucked under his arm.

His breath was labored. Damn your sluggishness, Jeth! He thought to himself. He has been moving fast as he dared since he left Cadence, but he was no scout. In fact, Jeth had barely been outside the walls in years.

"This package is of the utmost importance to the Cainsguard," Intuitor Simeon had told him, "so make your way to them with all haste!" Jeth asked the Inquisitor why he was the one chosen for such an important task.

"Because!" The Intuitor answered zealously. "Good help is in short supply in times like these! You've been looking for a chance to prove yourself to the Cainsguard, I know. Lucas Cainswright trusts you, and therefore, so do I!"

Captain Cainswright had said that he trusted him? That was all the reason Jeth needed. Now, here he was, in the dark of the woods, hurrying to catch a man with more than half a day's lead. He hugged the small package he carried tighter into the crook of his arm before speeding to the next tree. It was not a large package, barely longer than his hand, but it had a solid weight that caused it to dig into his forearms uncomfortably. Intuitor Simeon had waved away any questions as to what it contained, saying only that "It will be safer for him not to know." Jeth wasn't sure what to make of all this intrigue, but he figured that was something best left to his betters.

Jeth was almost to the next tree when he felt something catch his ankle. He barely had time to react before he felt himself being hoisted up into the air. He let out a yelp, punctuated with a sharp grunt as whatever held him jerked to a halt. He looked around, dazed, trying to make sense of a world that appeared to be turned upside down. He looked to his ankle and saw it was held fast by a tentacle made of gleaming metal rings tightly joined together, the rough edges of the rings digging sharply into his leg, cutting into the skin. It held him aloft, and as he followed the tentacle his stomach sank with dread. At the other end stood a man wearing a long white trench coat. The steel limb holding Jeth snaked up his sleeve, seeming to disappear just past his wrist. Jeth barely noticed, his attention rapt upon his captor's face. He appeared to be middle-aged, with lank brown hair hanging limply on his brow. Nothing about him was especially remarkable, save his eyes. Dark sockets stared back at Jeth, empty save for a sharp red light of an unknown origin. The skin around his eyes was burnt and scarred, adding to the horror. The man simply smiled at Jeth.

"Well then. You're the newest runner boy, eh? Took you long enough." The man moved to pick up the package Jeth had dropped on the forest floor. "I'll be taking this, thank you. I've been waiting a lifetime, you know. Tell Simeon not to delay next time. Men like me have more important things to be doing."

The man's voice grated strangely. It reminded Jeth of when he was a kid and would talk into a fan's moving blades, pretending to be a robot. The white-clad man started to unwrap the package when Jeth finally found his voice.

"Stop! That's for Captain Caniswright!"

The man froze, slowly tilting his head up to stare at Jeth.

"I'm sorry." He said. The words were barely a whisper, but menace dripped off every syllable. "Who now?

"C-Captain Cainswright. That's for his eyes only! I demand you return it and let me down!"

The man let out a boisterous laugh, the odd vibrato sending shivers down Jeth spine.

"Fantastic! Simeon told you nothing! Wonderful!" The man continued to chuckle, but Jeth didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice. "Well, first of all, this package is, like, definitely for me. Though I only need it for a short time. Name's Korben, by the way. Korben White. I'm sure you've heard of me."

Jeth gasped softly. Everyone had heard of Korben White, the twisted soul who created Ruineers.

"Second of all," Korben continued," we are in a bit of a bind here, friend. See, usually, my deliveries come with someone a bit more... 'informed', shall we say. Which means Simeon is expecting me to do away with you. The man is nothing but wasteful, I swear."

Jeth began to struggle. He had to get away, had to warn Captain Cainswright! Suddenly, White's hand clamped firmly over Jeth's face, pulling him closer. Jeth lashed out, striking White across the jaw with a closed fist. White reeled back, but the metal tentacle he controlled held Jeth firmly. There was nothing more for Jeth to do as White turned his head back towards Jeth, his mouth twisted in a grimace of rage. Thin tendrils of acrid smoke rose from White's missing eyes, the lights inside shining brightly.

"So, you want to take this package to 'Captain Cainswright'?" White's tone was all venom and mockery. "Well then, allow me to send you on your way!"

Screams echoed throughout the dreary forest for a while. Then, silence, save for the sound of a shabbily dressed man making his slow and steady way through the forest, his feet plodding through the pine bed, ignorant of everything save the small paper package he held reverently in his hands.