A small figure darted through the busy city, desperate and ignored, a broken toy clutched in hand.
His small, dirty feet stumbled over each other, sometimes falling down earning him disgusted glares but he didn't care.
He got up rubbing his scraped knee and continued his search.
Even if he was not allowed in this part of the city, he needed to find the Hero at any cost.
It did not matter if his presence disgusted the people he passed, he only wanted to know where the Hero was or where he might find him, but no one would tell him.
He asked tens of people with differing occupations and ages yet even children his age treated him as if he was…
A rat.
"Ouch–" He fell once more, this time taking a beat longer to get up.
"Huh?" A shadow fell on him, looking up he saw a tall man with broad shoulders.
He had a necklace around his neck with a golden rectangle that shone with the sun, he was an adventurer.
The child froze. If the citizens were cold to him then what would an adventurer do to him?
"Hey little guy, what are you doing here?" Contrary to his fears, the man offered his hand to help him stand.
"Umm… I was looking for the Hero." Taking his hand, he answered with a small voice.
"The Hero?" Scratching his head, the adventurer was dumbfounded.
"You're from the slums, why are you looking for the Hero of all people?"
His question made sense as the Hero is not supposed to interact with the slums and even if he was, people from the slums did not have the best view of him.
"He's the only one who can help us!" The child's eyes shone with determination.
"Why would you— Ah whatever. Not my problem. See that building there? That's where the Hero stays all day but I'll warn you, at best the knights won't let you in at worst you might get hurt. So you should turn back."
"Thank you!" He ran where the man pointed the last few words entering from one ear and leaving from the other.
The golden ranked adventurer sighed and shook his head.
Reaching the big building he slowed down to catch his breath, he anxiously looked at the two knights stationed at the door.
The moment they laid their eyes on him their expressions twisted.
"Filthy rat, this is no place for you."
"How dare you show your face here?"
"I need to see the Hero!" Disregarding their insults, he uttered his purpose.
"The Hero doesn't meet with rats."
They got closer to him. Feeling the pressure they emanated, he instinctively stepped back hugging the broken toy tightly to his chest.
"I– I need the Hero's help! Isn't that what he does!?" Not backing down, he asked for the Hero again.
"Absolute filth." One of the knights raised a hand—
"A knight does not raise his hand against a child." The voice that spoke was calm, but it was as cold as ice.
The knight's hand stopped a chill running down his spine.
A masked man walked towards the child, the knights tensed at each of his heavy foot steps.
"But sir you shouldn't give this kind of thing any of your precious time."
"He was brave enough to come here, I should at least hear him out. Return to your duties." Gesturing for them to scram with his hand, he got close to the scared boy and knelt to meet his eye level.
"What is it that you need from me?" Even with the hoarseness, his voice sounded warm and soft.
"A–are you the Hero?" His brow rose with a question.
"I guess you wouldn't know. Here," The masked man detached the helmet that hung on his waist and wore it, "does this answer your question?"
"Ah! It is you!" an expression of relief replaced his confusion but not for long, "I need your help! M–my friends, the– they…" He couldn't get the words out.
"Calm down whatever it is, I'll take care of it. Tell me what happened." His voice was calm and measured.
"They were taken away!"
"Taken away? By who? When? Tell me everything that happened." Not letting his surprise show the Hero asked the child for more information.
"I–I don't know they—We stayed late outside yesterday and they came and took them! We were playing hide and seek and the others were looking for me but these guys wearing black stole them away!" Straining his voice as he was running out of air, he finished the story and took a deep breath.
"..." The Hero's expression became grave under his helmet.
"I didn't know what to do… But you helped us last time so I came here…" His eyes watered.
"Go home," He said, resting a gloved hand on the boy's head. "I'll make sure to get your friends back. You needn't worry."
"Really!?"
The Hero nodded lightly.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Bowing multiple times the boy turned around and ran off.
And as he did, the Hero's shadow lingered for a long time looking at his small steps.
'His toy broke again…'
"I know what you're thinking, and I'm truly sorry to say this but you can't help him." Elyra's voice snapped him out of his raging thoughts.
"Lying to children doesn't come naturally to me, Elyra." Cael replied without looking back at her.
"..." She couldn't find a response to that.
***
The day passed as if nothing had happened, Cael's routine was not disturbed and he went home like usual.
Entering the room and activating the newly made enchantment on the door, he removed the white mask and with it; his golden hair was replaced by the color of soot.
A white breath escaped from his mouth.
It was a cold red night.
Cael glanced at the window, a blood red glow washed Arlen's room.
"A Blood Moon…"
The moon's color was the same as his glowing eyes, he felt strength seep between his aching muscle fibers.
Unlike everyone he knew, Cael had always gotten stronger by the Blood Moon.
Stretching his body to get a feel for the change, he smiled.
"Still not enough." His trembling hands showed him his weakness.
It did not matter. He wasn't going to depend on the moon's insignificant boost. Not when he was already so weak.
"I'm dead and the Hero can't go."
He looked at his reflection and grimaced.
"Aven… She might be out on a mission so I can't rely on her."
"That only leaves…"
He knelt by the uneven floorboards quietly opening the hidden compartment.
A black mask waited inside its golden cracks gleaming faintly in the red light.
Cael stared at it for a long moment with an unreadable expression before sticking it to his face.
Reaching under the floorboards again he took out his old assassin clothes and started slowly putting them on over his bandaged body. The hidden knives revealed as he took off the tattered training outfit.
He faced the mirror, Cael looked like himself again.
Looking at his old clothes and black hair he couldn't help but remember his first missions.
However, he wasn't going back to being the Wraith again.
Another shadow shall take the spectre's place.
"What a beautiful color." Locking his eyes on the moon again he was entranced by its color.
No matter how much blood he spilled none of it matched the Blood Moon's bewitching hue.
The edges of hair sparkled reflecting the moon's glow. Strand by strand their color turned crimson.
He looked at his reflection once more, eyes and hair glowing with the same hue as the night above.
"That will do."
***
A shadow leapt from rooftop to rooftop, moving with fluid ease as if it already knew every path by heart.
Cael's figure was obstructed by darkness, the mask's enchantment swallowing his outline making it even harder to accurately identify his features.
He had already swept the majority of the slums and visited Gorran.
'Gorran wouldn't sell out his customers but I couldn't be too sure.' If he revealed that the Hero bought this mask from him it would cause him trouble.
'I trust him but I'm not sure if he thought of the Hero as an actual customer…'
Letting out a sigh, he continued his search. Only one area remained and he had a hunch where they hid.
***
An old factory stood ruined by time and what seemed to be a raging fire, it was yet another of the foolish bishop's attempts at rebuilding the slums. It was supposed to offer the slum dwellers jobs and opportunities to better their lives, however not long after it was built and the people of the slums started working there a massive accident occurred.
A massive unexplainable explosion blasted over half of the building the workers and the bishop's dreams with it, it was one of his last blunders as this incident led to the slum becoming even more weary of outsiders their hatred towards the bishop and the church rising to all time highs, and the nobles to deem the bishop unworthy of his title because of his constantly failing plans.
If he found out that the place he built to nurture the slums was used to hide abducted children he would roll in his grave.
The usually barren factory has suddenly become populated by many cloaked figures seemingly guarding the place, some had swords hidden others had mana seeping out of their bodies.
"HELP! HEL–" The screams of a child reached Cael's ears and without any hesitation, he jumped in their direction.
"Mmmm— Mm!" Covering the child's mouth, the cloaked man had a twisted grin drawn on his face.
"Shut it! No one would hear you here, so you could spare us the ear ringing. Hahaha."
"Hahaha."
"Hahahaha."
The other two beside him laughed along with the same disgusting expression.
"Stop your wriggling around and just— Ouch." He got bitten by the child, "You little shi–"
Before he could attempt anything, a radiant light flashed blinding them.
"Aghh—" Disoriented; he stepped back and rubbed his eyes.
"W–where did he–?" Gaining some of his sight back, he couldn't find a trace of the child that was in front of him.
Just as he was about to throw a fit, the shadows moved in front of him.
The darkness pulled back and a mass of shadows was revealed, only the glowing red dots on its face and the spiky red strands of hair hinted at its humanity.
"Who are you!?"
"I don't need to answer to you scu—" Cutting himself off, Cael made a complicated expression under the mask.
'Why am I speaking like Arlen? I'm not him right now…' Speaking like the Hero became a habit.
"Hah… Hahahahehehe" The shadow's shoulders trembled and a haunting sound came out of its mouth echoing through the cloaked men's bones.
No words were spoken, letting the shadow laugh to its heart's content.
"Ahhh… So tell me, what are you fuckers doing here?" A disturbing voice assaulted their ears.
It was always changing; mixing high and low pitches, hoarse and soft, cold and warm.
"What are you—"
Thud
The body of the companion to his left fell, a dagger stuck to his forehead.
"Wrong~ I'll repeat myself. What. Are. You. Fuckers. Doing. Here?"
"How dare–"
Thud
Another blade cut through the air stopping his retaliation.
"Wrong again~ I'm starting to become concerned for your ears."
"Y–you won't get away with this!" Putting his hand inside his cloak, he pulled out a red orb.
"With this, you will—"
Blood splattered and stuck to his cheek.
Looking at where his hand should be, he couldn't see it.
"AGHHH! My hand!" Clutching what was left of his right arm, he failed in stopping the blood.
Giving up, he stretched his trembling hand towards the rolling orb.
Crack
His hand and the orb underneath it were crushed by the shadow's foot.
"AGHH! You—Khhh"
"You will tell me everything you know." Holding him by the neck, Cael demanded answers.
"GAH–Khh" White foam came out of his mouth.
He was dead.
"Haa… I guess I was too rough." Throwing the man's body down he let out a sigh.
For a moment, the glow in his hair flickered; crimson dimming to gold then vanishing.
"This is going to be a long night."