When Darkness Falls

by Nakka

A metal claw reached out and caught a hold of her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Into those cold, golden eyes that seemed to bare into her soul. "Now, show me." he hissed in her ear, his voice both playful and deadly. "Show me the proof of your existence, little bird." (Currently being reworked.)

1. Prolgue Freedom

When Darkness Falls

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CE: Um... Because I've hit a rather hard wall and the idea well is beginning to grow dry, instead of adding another chapter, I'm going to go in and redo the chapters that are already up. Maybe if I rework the things I have already done, I might come up with an idea for Chapter 7...

Do not own Fable or Fable 2

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"Talking"

'Thinking'

Inner Voices/Sylver while in animal form

[Nakka Notes]

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Prologue

Freedom was all She Ever Desired...

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Sea salt wind played through chestnut hair as deep blue eyes stared out into the aquatic horizon. The roar of waves slamming against the rocky cliffs coupled with the lulling rocks against the pier and the soft cries of seagulls echoed in the dusk as a young woman stood upon the semi-rotting planks, her eyes never leaving the distant realm before her. The source of her attention? There... where the sea meld with a sky, a great tower pierced the heavens, defying the very gods. Its walls blacker than the darkest night, its purpose blacker than the void that which spawned the heart of its creator. How many lives had been lost in the construction of such a terrifying structure? How many souls were consumed to fulfill the dreams of one deranged man? How many of them... had been destroyed by her hands?

Those seemingly lifeless blue eyes closed as the screams of the fallen raged in her mind. The ramblings of the insane... the pleadings of the starved... the screams of those who fell under her sword. And for what? To end the tyranny of a crazed man who had killed her not once, but twice.

Twenty years... Twenty long, pain filled years she hunted him down to finally silence the screaming and the roar of the bullets that had destroyed her life. And in the end... she could not even pull the trigger. She could not kill the man that killed so many innocents, including her beloved sister and even her faithful canine companion. She remembered how her hand trembled as she aimed the pistol at his black heart; hate filled tears flowing from her eyes, the pounding of her heart... and the pleading eyes of a madman who wanted nothing more than to embrace the loved ones he had lost so long ago.

But in the end... she could not pull the trigger. No matter how much hatred she harbored towards the man. No matter how much she desired revenge for her sister's death. She could not pull the trigger and end the life of the one that had destroyed hers. For was he not trying to accomplish the one thing that she desired? Did he not share the same desire as she? Maybe that was what stalled her hand. Or perhaps it was the pity she felt for the man that had become a shell of his former self. No... What had stopped her from ending his evil life was the soft, unseen hand that had touched hers, causing her to lower the pistol, and the echoing whisper of her sister's voice.

Twenty years she had desired nothing more than to exact her vengeance on her sister's murderer, only for it to be stolen by another's bullet. But what truly added salt to her already soul deep wounds was the choice she was forced to make in the end. The dark Spire had but one purpose: to grant a single wish. She had the choice of three. To Sacrifice everything she worked for to restore the lives lost in the creation of the Spire, to bring back her Family and everyone she had loved and lost, or to hold an incredible amount of Wealth. Being the kind hearted woman she was, the third choice was out of the question. What tore at her heart most was the choice between her sister or the people she had been forced to kill as she joined the ranks of her enemy to get closer to him.

A silent tear fell from her eyes as she remembered the pain in her heart as she choice Sacrifice. In that whiteness of her wish, she could see her soft smile of her sister and the wagging tail of her companion before they faded from this world forever.

Brushing away her tears, the woman turned around and began to drift towards the small town nearby. If one were to see her, they would have thought of her as a ghost. Her skin had lost its luster over the years and her once vibrant blue eyes where now lifeless and void-like. She herself had become a shell of her former self, just like that man had. She had even grown distant of those who had relied on her. She had become... hollow.

"Mistress Sparrow!" She stopped and turned around as a young man ran towards her. He wore a brilliant white robe with a hood that hid most of his face. He stopped a few feet before her, his chest heaving.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a toneless voice, catching the youth by surprise. Never would he have thought that the woman revered to be the Hero of Albion to sound so cold and emotionless. The youth rubbed the back of his head as her voice caused a chill to run up his spine.

"Um, well. The Temple of Light was wondering if we could employ your services for a most important matter." She could see the sweat form from under his hood as he pointed to an elegant temple standing atop a large hill. It had grown much since the last time she saw it. With an inward sigh, Sparrow began to follow the now somewhat nervous priest. As they walked, Sparrow closed her eyes to hide the growing irritation that flooded her. She had already done so much for the people of Albion, even giving up her only family member so that their loved ones would be reborn. What more did they want from her?

The trip up the hill had become somewhat easier over the years. Marble stairs replaced solid ground and even statues of gods and patrons had been sprouted about the place. The Temple itself had doubled in size, no doubt due to her 'generous' donations she had left them after she had returned from the Spire with Garth. The fact that she had destroyed the Temple of Shadows, their dark counterparts, had a helping hand as well.

"Welcome, Miss Sparrow." The warm voice caused her to snap from her mental ramblings and look to the Abbot. He was younger than his predecessor but less experienced. The priest that had led her to the Temple had vanished, leaving her and the Abbot alone as they discussed business.

"Miss Sparrow, I am sure you are aware of the resent, and relentless, balverine attacks along the Rookridge road lately?" Sparrow had no idea but humored him by nodding her head slightly. "We have lost several priests this month and many traders have also been found dead along the road. Unlike others of its kind, this balverine seems to be killing just for the sport, not for food." His voice trailed off slightly as he began to pace. "The Guards have been able to do nothing to prevent the beast from killing." The Abbot continued to ramble about the untold destruction and danger should she take the job. Sparrow managed to block out most of the conversation [for she heard the same thing ever time she took a job to kill off some monster or bandit] and concentrated on the task at hand.

A balverine that killed not for food, but for sport. While they were human once long ago, balverines were nothing more than animals now, and what animal would kill for sport... other than a cat? Stranger more was the fact that there was a balverine near Oakfield to begin with. The beasts preferred the caves, marshes, and the occasional ruin, not trade routes and populated areas. Something was not right about this one...

"Can we count on you?" the Hero looked up at the Abbot's hopeful face and sighed softly. All she wanted was to go home. She had had enough of the people of Albion coming to her all the time with their problems. However, she could not refuse. With a silent nod of her head, she turned and began to walk out of the Temple. As she did, she heard the Abbot call out. "May the Light of Avo shine upon you, Hero of Albion."

This caused her to pause for a minute and clench her fists. Avo? Where was Avo when she needed him most? Where was he when she was forced to make a choice between her family or the people of the world? She bit down on her tongue to keep her from shouting at the Abbot and walked at a fast pace away from the Temple's shadow, leaving a befuddled Abbot and several confused Priests. As she stormed to kill the balverine, her mind raged. If there were gods in Albion, would they have forced her to choose between her life and the lives of others? Would they have made her Sacrifice all that she had only to be denied the revenge she had longed for for over twenty years? No... There was no Avo. There were no gods in Albion, only the foolish men who created them and forced others to follow their beliefs.

It didn't take long to leave Oakfield, it had always been a small town and most likely it always would be. The road from Oakfield was riddled with weeds and forgotten debris, causing her to pinch her nose in irritation. She had fought so hard for them over the long years, the least they could do was clean up the trade routes a little to make traveling a little easier. As she stepped over one object, her foot would catch another, causing her to stumble. Geez... Did they expect her to clean up after them to?!

"Damn lazy..." Sparrow grumbled as she both heard and felt the crunch of garbage under her boots. The sudden roar of drunken laughter suddenly broke the silence, causing her to stop and drift into the tree line. Moving in the shadows of the thick trees, she began to slowly make her way towards the source of the sounds.

"Dat was da easiest rob we've 'ad in weeks!" shouted one particularly drunk man. A roar of laughter and cheers were soon followed as well as the clank of bottles and mugs. Moving closer, she could begin to make out the flickering of a roaring fire as well as a bundle of bodies moving about erratically.

"Who would 'ave thought that merchants could be so stupid!" chuckled another with a hiccupping voice. Brushing back a few branches, Sparrow gazed at the scene before her. It was a band of bandits, about twenty plus in number, all of which were drunk off their asses and were erupting in random songs while some dancing about the roaring bonfire. Off to the side, she could see a wide assortment of objects ranging from weapons, to books, to rags and spices. Even with the threat of bandit activity and raging balverines, the traders were still careless on the roads. Her eyes moved away from their 'treasure' and scanned across the band itself.

It was a typical band of thieves consisting of drunk, fat men with scruffy clothes and a stench that caused the Hero's nose to curl in disgust. Each one held a mug [and in some cases multiple mugs] of strong ale while laughing and dancing about like a regular pack of drunks. The one thing that stood out was their leader. He was a lean young man that was too clean shaven to be a bandit. And his style of dress was much different than any other she had seen, much cleaner, unlike the hide wearing Thag or the cross-dressing Ripper. But the seat he sat upon really defined him from all others she had encountered, for he sat upon the lifeless bodies of the merchants they had raided, one leg crossed over the other and a smug look on his face as he twirled a dagger in his fingers.

Behind the make-shift throne, Sparrow could see movement and decided to move a little bit closer to get a better look. Making sure to avoid any noise that could give away her position, the young warrior inched closer and closer to their camp, listening to everything going around her.

"But, you know boss..." slurred one man. "Ain't it dagerous... dongerous... DANGEROUS to be 'ere?" The band leader looked to the oaf from the corner of his eye with a rather bored expression. "Wat with da rumors of that balverine running about killing everyone in sight?"

Silence followed the drunk's remark and everything became still. Sparrow was sure she heard the pounding of the drunk's heart as the leader stood up from his bloody throne and slowly walked towards the drunk, a dark smile on his face. "My dear, Rubar." His voice was a dark whisper, causing Sparrow to stop advancing upon the camp and cringe slightly. "You have nothing to fear, for the raging balverine is nothing more than a rumor spread by terrified travelers who jump away from their own shadow."

'Don't be so sure of yourself...' Sparrow thought with a sweat. She had seen many things and if there was one thing she had learned was to expect the unexpected.

"WE are what the merchants should fear, for we are one with the shadows." The tone in the leader's voice made Sparrow think of a certain pistol wielding megalomaniac. The suave man placed a hand on Rubar's shoulder and dipped his head low to whisper in his ear. Sparrow was not able to hear what he said, but whatever it was, it was something dark as evident in the growing eyes of the drunk. Then, before he could react, the dark man, with a smile still planted on his face, pierced the drunk's gut with the dagger he had been twirling in his hands. As the drunk slumped, clutching his now bleeding gut in pain, his attacker moved a step away and slashed at his throat, causing a torrent of blood to gush out and spray across the man.

"Fear and weakness are not tolerated among us!" he shouted to the rest of the band as the body fell to the ground with a loud thud. "Those who question my authority shall only find the sweet kiss of death. Those who cannot become one with the shadows shall be tossed into the void of oblivion."

Cheers erupted throughout the camp and several even began to chant "Nox! Nox! Nox!" over and over again, causing Sparrow to assume that was his name. Fitting... With a snap of his fingers, two semi-drunk men came up and began to drag their now dead comrade towards the cliffs, most likely to toss him out to the sea. As Nox took his place back on his Body Throne, the camp once again erupted in drunken laughter and singing. As they continued their little 'celebration', Sparrow returned to her original thought and began to silently move closer to see what was hidden behind Nox's 'throne.' She was unaware of the dark shadow that loomed above or the blood thirsty eyes that gleamed in the darkness.

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"Damn you to hell!?" hissed Nox in anger, his hands shaking in fury as he bled profusely from several, rather shallow cut all over his body. The bodies of most of his men laid scattered about, either having multiple slash marks or bullet holes in their heads. Sparrow stood several feet away, a black pistol in one hand and a silver katana in the other. Behind her, a group of women huddled close together.

When Sparrow had gotten a better look at what Nox had behind his throne, she had discovered a rather gruesome sight. A group of young women were bound tightly together, their clothes torn and this skin cut and covered in mud. They were the female merchants that they had raided and had apparently been spared only to be the toys of their drunken captors and later sold to the highest bidder in the Slave Auctions.

Not being able to handle the sight before her, she stalked her way closer, using the growing darkness of the night as well as the thick trees to her advantage. When she got close enough, one of the older women saw her and yipped slightly, causing Nox to look over. Sparrow had quickly shifted back into the shadows so that he did not see her. After giving the woman a hard slap against her face, he turned back around and watched his men. Rage began to boil in her soul, as Sparrow watched the cruel man. Waiting several minutes, Sparrow began to crawl towards the bound group, holding her finger against her mouth to tell them to keep quiet. Nodding with hope filled eyes, the young merchants remained as quiet as they could, some even stopped breathing in fear that the dark man would hear their now erratic breathing.

Using a dagger hidden in her boot, she silently cut away at the ropes that bound them and motioned them to crawl towards the forest. One young girl, however, made a beeline towards the trees, earning her the shouts of the drunken men that had saw her. With swift reflexes, Nox spun around and planted a deep dagger right into the girl's spine. The others screamed loudly as their young companion fell to the ground with a gurgle. Pushing the remaining girls behind her, Sparrow instantly stood in front of them, shielding them from the bandits.

The next few minutes seemed to linger on for an eternity. The majority of the band instantly charged towards the now pissed Sparrow, swords raised to lob off her head. However, being sober had a defiant advantage over the drunk. The few that could raise and hold up their guns straight began to fire at the group, causing the women to shout, however, no bullets came near them as a powerful Will infused barrier wrapped around them. Having earned a great amount of Skill herself, Sparrow had no trouble in relieving the shooters of their lives. She even managed to clip their dagger throwing boss several times with his own daggers that she had managed to catch.

And now it was down to two groups: a small number of thieves behind their dark leader and the remaining girls that had not escaped into the forest behind the Hero.

"Those with darkness in their hearts should not live upon these lands." Sparrow's voice was emotionless and cold. Nox snarled, mistaking her coldness for cockiness. Granted she had wasted over half of his men in less than a few minutes and she had released most of his feminine captives, even worst was that she had damaged his ego by striking him with his own daggers, but he would not be had by this... this... WOMAN!

"Get her! Bathe this land with her blood!" he shouted with pure rage. Afraid of what would happen if they denied his command, the remaining bandits charged towards Sparrow. A faint smile played across her lips as she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. The soft blue glow of Will played across her skin as she forced raw energy into the area. As she opened her eyes, she could see notable difference in the surrounding area. Everything around her grew slow, making the bandits look as if they were trying to wade through thick mud. With a silent click of her sword, she sliced at the two closest to her, causing their blood to spray from their necks, rather slowly at that due to the spell. Sparrow then raised her pistol and shot three more right in the head, causing them to fall to the ground instantly.

By the time the Speed Spell wore off, all that was left was Nox and two others. Nox's eyes widened in disbelief. One moment, his men were charging towards her, and the next they were on the ground bathing in their own blood. The two bandits behind him looked at Sparrow with pure fear and even began to slowly step backwards.

"S-she killed them... and we didn't even see it!" stuttered one while dropping his cutlass. Hearing the sudden clank, Nox looked over his shoulder and glared death as the two retreating bandits.

"Take one more step and you will have a lot more to fear than a mere woman." he hissed darkly, causing Sparrow to glare. She had more than proved to Albion and she was more than just a woman. One of the retreating bandits stopped, but the other continued to back away, his head shaking and his eyes glowing with fear.

"B...But she killed them all... She's not human!" Nox turned and was about to shout but stopped. The girls behind Sparrow screamed in fear and Sparrow herself suddenly raised her pistol and took aim at the bandit... or rather above him. The now sober man looked at the combined faces before him and noticed the second bandit take several steps away. "Oh shit... There's something behind me isn't there?" As the words left his chest, something entered it. He gave a gurgled scream as a clawed hand shot through his back and out his chest. As blood sprayed onto the now stunned Nox, the bandit's body was lifted up and chucked to the side, his body slamming into a thick tree with a sickening crack.

"So it came..." said Sparrow with a rather emotionless voice.

"What the fuck is that thing?!" shouted Nox as he took several steps back. The creature was several feet taller than the average man, about six feet if Sparrow had to guess. Its body was lean and covered with thick, mangy fur. It resembled a wolf in features, but also clearly held the resemblance of a man. Its long arm was now covered with fresh blood while its dark grey fur was coating with old blood.

"A balverine..." Sparrow answered while slowly emptying her gun and replacing the bullets with special shells made of pure silver. The clicking of the gun caused the balverine to look over at her with blood filled eyes.

"When I say so, run into the woods and do not stop until you reach town." she commanded to the women behind her, who nodded their heads, never taking their eyes off of the blood drunk creature no more than a few yards away. 'Do not make any sudden movements...' she commanded mentally, praying that the two remaining bandits would not do anything stupid and cause her to miss her shot. No such luck, for the moment her mind whispered the prayer, the bandit charged towards the creature with a pathetic war cry, his cutlass aimed to end the beast's life. Snarling darkly, the balverine jumped up with great athletics and reappeared behind the bandit. With one swipe of its claws, the bandit's head fell off of his shoulders and a spray of blood erupted onto the creature.

Balverines. Creatures of great speed and acrobatics. Once were humans, but then became blood thirsty creatures when bitten by another balverine. Very similar to wolves in nature, they have a keen sense of smell and exceptional vision, even in the dark. Taught the ways of hunting at a young age, these creatures are ruthless and will kill anything that they perceive as a possible threat or meal.

Sparrow thought back to an old, worn book of the many creature of Albion. All in all... they were considered to be the deadliest of all. Apparently, Nox did not know that much about them and instantly began to throw his remaining daggers at the creature. "Go now." commanded Sparrow as she dropped the shield around the young women. As the balverine knocked Nox away with a powerful blow to the head, the women began to crawl away and into the dark forest. Seeing movement, the balverine snarled and was about to jump towards the retreating figures but was stopped when a silver bullet pierces its shoulder. Howling in pain, it looked to the woman holding a now smoking pistol and growled darkly.

"Over here!" she called out, making sure to keep the beast's attention until the women had enough chance to get to safety. The balverine attempted to jump up, but Sparrow planted a silver bullet into its left leg, causing it to howl once more in pain. "Over here..." she repeated, moving her pistol side to side, making it watch it with dripping fangs. She would keep the beast occupied for a few more minutes so that the girls could get far away before she attempted to truly attack...

"DIE!" A piercing yowl followed after the cry and the balverine turned around and grabbed the now risen Nox by his throat, giving Sparrow a good view of its back. Apparently, once he had regained consciousness, he decided to take matter into his own hands and had stabbed its back with a fallen cutlass.

With its claws firmly around Nox's neck, the balverine turned to look at Sparrow. With a loud growl, it jumped up and took off into the woods, Nox's gargled screams fading away into the night.

"Shit..." the young Hero grumbled before sheathing her katana and taking off after the beast. Whether it was accidental or the byproduct of claws in his skin, Sparrow would never know, but was thankful for Nox leaving his blood behind, allowing her to easily follow the balverine. The fact that the beast did not leave any evidence of its trail [being in the trees helped out in that department] made it especially hard, so Sparrow was rather grateful to the cold, bandit leader.

The trail ended up leading her to an entrance of the old, abandoned mine, one that was not too far from the ruins that were once the Temple of Shadows. Pulling out the dagger in her boot and casting a small Inferno spell on it to make it glow for a small ounce of light, she slowly made her way through the labyrinth that was the old mine, her pistol aiming at anything that moved. The sound of water dripping from the walls, coupled by the deep breathing of the wind was all she could here, and the trail of blood was becoming less visible. Either Nox was running out of blood or the balverine was becoming smarter. Both were possible options and she wasn't about to rule either out.

As she ventured further into the underground maze, the ground became more erratic and the stench of decay became stronger. She soon found herself jumping from one cliff to another, or jumping from a cliff altogether and land on more solid ground with a grunt. It was during these times that she was rather thankful to have the blood of powerful Heroes. Bones that could survive impossible falls have more than proved themselves useful in the past. After about twenty minutes of jumping and climbing, Sparrow found herself on a cliff that overlooked a very large room. It resembled the Howling Halls that a Balverine in disguised had tricked her and Hammer in; only it had several ramps and abandoned mining equipment. Looking down, she saw several ramps and stone pillars slowly leading down to the bottom, the first one being just a jump away.

Putting her dagger back into her boot and holstering her pistol, she turned around and moved a couple of yard away. Once she was at a favorable distance, she turned back around, licked her lips, and charged towards the cliff's edge. As she lifted up off the ground and freefell towards the ramp, a loud roar erupted in the room and she felt something heavy come in contact with her back, forcing her to miss the ramp and fall directly to the ground. As she landed with a loud thud, all the air was knocked out of her lungs causing her to gasp. The feeling of sharp claws piercing her back followed by a low, deadly growl caused Sparrow's heart to stop for a moment.

The damn thing had jumped right onto her back in mid-flight!

Just as the Balverine was about to tear into her throat, she sent a power blast of Lighting at it, zapping it off of her back. As the creature yelped in pain, unwanted memories surfaced in her mind, causing a very long pent in rage to slowly bubble up to the surface.

After the Balverine wiped its snout with the back of its paw, it snarled at Sparrow and lunged once more, claws aimed at the skin of her throat. With fire blazing in her eyes, she raised her pistol and pulled the trigger.

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Sparrow's chest heaved heavily as she slumped to the ground and leaned her still stone back against a stone pillar. A small clank could be heard as she dropped the now very heavy pistol to the ground and allowed her cramping arm some much needed rest. A stinging mixture of blood and sweat trickled down various gashes in her arms, face, and parts of her abdomen causing a very painful burn to overwhelm her. With a shaky hand, she swished the lose strands of hair from her face and gazed at the body that laid no more than five feet away.

The damn Balverine had taken two and a half clips of pure silver bullets plus another half a clip of regular steel bullets before it finally fell to the ground. And it did not go down without a fight, as evident from the claw marks all over her body and the rather nasty bump on the back of her head. She was thankful, at least, that the curse only passed down from predator to pray via fangs, not claws.

With a deep breath, Sparrow pushed herself up and limped over to the Balverine's body. She was amazed how resultant it was. Not many of its species survived more than two silver bullets, but this one took well over a dozen. It wasn't a White Balverine or even a rare Frost Balverine. It was just a plain, ordinary Balverine.

Picking up her pistol and holstering it, she took one last look at the fallen best and turned to walk away. Just as she was about to leave the large area, a small yipping noise paused her step. Turning back around, she watched with a bleeding heart as a small bundle of white fur bound from where ever it had been hiding and nuzzled its larger companion. It pawed at the bleeding mass and Sparrow's cold eyes warmed slightly as she realized just what she had killed.

It wasn't a rabid Balverine that killed for food, territory, or entertainment. It was a Mother doing what she does best: protecting her child. That was why it was killing the merchants and bandits. The trade routes and main roads were far too close to its lair, to its cub. And she killed it.

'I'm no better than that man...' she thought darkly. A small yipping caused her to rip from her thoughts. The cub had moved from its fallen mother and bumbled towards the new and strange [at least in its eyes] creature standing nearby. She looked down at it as it pawed her boot in curiosity. It probably had never seen a live human before. With a hard look in her eyes, she pulled her pistol out, clicked a single silver bullet into its chamber, and took aim at the tiny beast playfully pouncing on her boot. As her finger twitched on the trigger, she felt something heavy wash over her, causing her to lessen her hold.

A faint smile played across her lips as she closed her eyes. "I see... Alright, I play by your rules." With that said, she put her pistol up and bent down so that she was semi-eye level with the little pup. "Behave." It tilted its head slightly. With a hesitant hand, Sparrow reached down and gently pat the top of its head, causing it to gruff. The young Hero then stood back up and began to walk away from the area. The pup watched her go bright red eyes and a tilted head.

It took nearly twice as long for her to get out as it did her getting in. By the time she was finally able to breathe fresh air, the moon was well past its zenith and it was only a matter of hours before the dawning light swept over Albion. Taking in a deep breath of the cool, crisp air, Sparrow popped her still slightly sore back and gazed upon the distant glow that was Oakfield. A grim frown pursed across her lips. She really did not want to return to the ignorant praises of the priests and listen to the Abbot praise the light of Avo. Did they really think a god had sent her to them? No... She learned a long time ago if you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself.

With a sharp turn, she turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. She would let the merchants carry rumors of her success.

Sparrow did not stop walking until she could see the distant glow that was Bowerstone. By then, the moon and stars were beginning to fade and one could make out the golden rays of the sun. With a heavy, tired sigh, she moved off of the road and into the trees. Once she found a suitable spot, she withdrew her katana and slashed at the thick foliage until there was a tiny clearing. She then unstrapped a shovel hidden on her back and began to dig a small hole. After filling it up with dried twigs and the weeds she hacked, she lit up a small fire with Inferno. Once the crackling of flames was heard, she undid the belt that held her weapons and removed her now seemingly heavy backpack. With the weight lifted off her shoulders, she sat down on the cold dirt and moved her pack so that she could lean up against it.

Closing her eyes, Sparrow allowed herself to meld with the earth around her. The soft whispers of song birds began to echo through the trees and the lulling sound of waves crashing against Rookridge's cliffs was relaxing to say the least. The chittering of crickets created a peaceful symphony that meshed with the soft harmony of wind playing through the leaves. The smells weren't bad either. A mixture of sea-salt air with the strong scent of pine cleansed the scent of death and decay from her system.

'When was... the last time?' she thought to herself with a faint smile. It had been ten years since she was able to relax like this, in the days before the Spire. During that time, she had explored every inch that Albion had to offer. From the beautiful lakes of Bowerstone to the dark corruption of Bloodstone. The gentle forests of Brightwood had offered her a sense of comfort while the dark swamps that were Wraithmarsh had struck fear and longing in her soul. Sparrow loved Albion in every way a true Albionite could... she just wished the people were not so demanding and ignorant of everything that transpires in the world.

A sudden rustling abruptly pulled her from her thoughts. On instinct, she picked up her discarded pistol and aimed it at the moving foliage close by. What came out of the dark greenery caused her to blink with a mixture of confusion and surprise. A small bundle of white fur spilled out into her little make-shift camp and a pair of large red eyes stared into her deep blue ones. With a sigh, Sparrow placed her pistol down on the ground and looked at the tiny creature.

"What are you doing here?" The Balverine pup answered her with a yip and a small wag of its little tail.

What are you doing here? I'm sure I didn't wish for you...

As Rose's voice echoed in her mind and memories flashed back to the cold winter's night, she sighed and pat the ground next to her. "Alright then... Come here." The pup bounced for a moment before hopping over to her. As it grew closer, it slowed to a cautious walk, its ears flattened down and its tail tucked in-between its legs. It reminded her of Steel whenever he approached something that he was not sure of. Holding out her hand, she allowed the pup to come to her on its own, her eyes never leaving that mouth filled with deadly teeth. Though the poison was not as potent with younger Balverines, it could still cause massive damage to her blood. As it drew closer to her, she reached down and with tender care gently rubbed the top of its head as if it was just another normal puppy.

It growled playfully and tripped to nip at her fingers, but she quickly drew them back and tapped it on the nose. "No." she said sternly. "If you are going to follow me, no biting." She wasn't sure if it knew what she was saying, but it did not make another attempt at her fingers. Turning around, she dug through her pack and pulled out some jerky that she had bought a week back. It was slightly stale, but it was better than nothing. Tearing off a piece, she placed it on the ground in front of the pup before tearing off a piece for her. The Balverine sniffed at the dry meat for a minute and then bat at it to see if it would try to get up and run away. When nothing happened, it pounced and began to tear into it, its sharp fangs shredding the touch meat easily.

Sparrow watched with silent fascination as she chewed her own piece of meat. Looking down at her hand, she shrugged and tossed the remainder of the jerky at the small creature, who happily began to devour it. Once it had finished, it rolled onto its back with a dog-like yawn, its tiny belly bulging slightly from the simple, yet filling meal. With a warm smile, Sparrow tenderly picked up the pup, who yipped lazily, its tail wagging happily. Setting it down on her lap, she gently stroked its rough white fur. With the combination of a full stomach, the warmth of the fire, and the soft caresses of the woman towering above it, it didn't take long before the pup fell into sleeps gentle embrace.

Sparrow's usual cold eyes warmed at the sight before she gazed into the flickering fire. "Is this... what forgiveness feels like?" she asked softly, while touching the warm fur below.

-----

She wasn't sure what brought her to Bloodstone... She wasn't sure why she agreed to a drunk man's request... But what she was sure of, was that she was officially pissed. As another wave of cackling ghost pirates poured into the room, Sparrow raised up her hands and summoned a powerful blast of Lightning while simultaneously firing her pistol.

"Just how many crew members did you have?!" she shouted with anger while zapping and blasting a seemingly endless onslaught of ghosts. She had already fell thirty of the wisp created entities, and there were still more coming. And these were no mere Hallow Men... these were some very pissed off spirits with one very pissed of Captain who held one hell of a grudge against Bloodstone, more specifically its gun slinging mayor [Reaver]. One couldn't blame him though. Sparrow would be pissed if she had gotten shot over a bloody title too.

A loud, roaring laughter echoed through the cavern as another swarm of disgruntled spirits charged the battered Hero. "The Marianne held a crew that could fill that accursed city three times!" roared Captain Dread in a laughter than could make even Lucien cringe. Sparrow believed it too. With all the ghostly pirates swarming around, she was not about to rule out the possibility of there being a large number of them.

Grunting in silent frustration, Sparrow shot down several specters and then concentrated her Will to force their bodies to rise back up. As the now loyal spirits began to attack their own comrades, Sparrow pulled out her silver katana and began to slash at the bodies surrounding her. Before long, the messy dining chamber was completely emptied, save one exhausted Hero and a few lingering spirits that wafted about before they too faded away.

"Ye ain't bad, little girl!" cackled Dread's undead voice. "Ye'll make a fine addition to my undead crew!" This was followed by another bought of semi-insane laughter. Once the laughter died away, Sparrow groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a pounding headache arise. The moment she stepped foot in the dark cavern and dove over 500 feet into icy cold water, that laughter followed her like the plague. With a heavy sigh, Sparrow flung her katana so that it rested on her shoulder and made her way deeper into the cavern. As she slashed at several more ghosts, she began to think just why she was here in the first place.

As said before, she wasn't entirely sure just what drew her to sinful city that was Bloodstone. Maybe it was for a change of scenery, or perhaps it was to evade the over praising villagers and priests. Most likely, thought, it was because Bloodstone was one of the few remaining places in Albion were she did not have to hear "Avo be praised, the mighty Hero has arrived to save our souls!" While visiting the pub, she overheard an old man prattle on of ghosts and buried treasure. Being the bored Hero at the moment, Sparrow had humored him, bought him a drink and listened to his tale.

The story itself was more of a legend among the people of Bloodstone. And epic tale of a mighty Pirate King, his crew of hundreds, and the fabled Marianne. A hundred years ago, Captain Dread had been the most feared pirate to sail the seas of Albion. Those who were left in his wake, were either dead or suffered horrible losses. No port was safe from his reign and it was said that he had collected enough treasure to fill the bottom of Bower Lake. But like all humans, his reign came to an abrupt end on a cold summer night. While caught in a raging storm out at sea, a lone bullet rang out over the thunder and planted itself firming in between the feared Pirate King's eyes. With his death, The Marianne sunk to the bottom of the sea along with her crew.

From the M.O. alone, Sparrow knew where the lone bullet had come from and why Reaver was known as the Pirate King now.

After a few more beers, Salty Jack claimed to have seen the ghostly vision that was Dread wandering about the entrance of The Sinkhole [though he had also confessed to be drunk and in the arms of an equally drunk whore]. He tried following, but was meet with a death racking plummet and insane laughter of a long dead man. He claimed that he had caught a faint glimpse of a floating structure and was sure that it was the risen Marianne. After a few minutes of pleading and bargaining, Sparrow agreed to venture into The Sinkhole and see what lied beyond the plummet. And should she find Captain Dread's fabled treasure, she was to bring it back so that he could show it to everything that thought him a crazy, old man. He also claimed that should she succeed, she would forever become a legend among the Pirate Court.

And now, here she was. Mucking through a rather foul smelling cave and fighting off a hoard of angry spirits while trying to find a way to board The Marianne. One thing was for sure... she was going wop Jack a big one over the head for all of this mess. After climbing up a rather steep set of stairs, Sparrow was met with a rather elegant room. Granted it was dusty, moldy, and rodent infested, but it was elegant none the less. The room consisted of a large bed, a desk covered with a wide assortment of papers and maps, a dresser, and a large, locked chest.

With no ghost in sight, Sparrow tucked her pistol into her belt and moved to desk. Shifting through all the tattered and torn papers, she discovered most of them were lists containing locations, times, a number, and then a percentage. Some of the cities that were listed, she had never even heard of. After scanning several more papers, she concluded that they were most likely lists of previous hits. Digging further into the desk, she discovered a rusty old key. Eyeing it, she looked back to the locked chest. For a former Pirate King... Dread sure did leave things out in the open.

Shrugging, Sparrow clicked the lock and pushed the rusted and rotten lid back. "What the...?" Reaching down, she pulled out a dark lever. Eyeing it for a moment, she tucked it into her pocket and made her way out of the room. She remembered some kind of a mechanical device back at the pier.

"This cave shall be yer grave, little girl!" taunted the undead Captain once more, causing Sparrow to growl in frustration.

"Shut up, Dread!" she yelled back while making her way towards the pier. "I've had just about enough of you."

This was followed by another bout of insane laughter. Ignoring the cackling, Sparrow slowly made her way across the semi-rotten planks that led upwards towards a rusted mechanism. Pulling out the lever, she wedged it in its respective spot and pulled. The loud grindings of gears soon followed and a large stone slab extended out from the pier and close to the haunted ship.

"No! The Marianne is mine! Ye shall not have her!" Dread's voice had changed from insane and overconfident to fear and aggressive. Pulling out her pistol, she moved over to the extended slab and jumped from the stone and onto the deck of the ship. As she did, a large group of ghosts appeared and Captain Dread stood by the wheel, his ghostly arms folded over his chest and a dark grin playing across his lips. "Welcome aboard, little girl. Get her boys!"

By their captain's command, the undead crew charged.

A faint smile played across Sparrow's lips as she forced her Will to bend the air around her. With a sharp flash, Sparrow reappeared on the deck of the forecastle, much to the surprise to the spirits. "You are going to have to do better than that." she taunted. The crew snarled and charged up the ramps leading up to her. Weaving her hands together, the Will lines on her skin began to glow and sparks of lightning flashed between her fingers.

Just as the ghosts were upon her, she sent a powerful blast of lighting around her, sending them flying this way and that. As they burst into a shower of Wisp particles, another group of spirits rose up from under the ship's deck. "Ah geez... Why the hell did ONE ship need this many crew members?" she grumbled with a small pout. Tapping her pistol against her head, she sighed and began to fire down at the spirits. The ones that managed to dodge her bullets and move upwards were met with either her blade or her lightning. All the while, Captain Dread laughed his ass off and then waved his arm. Two large men appeared on either side of him, each carrying sniper-like riffles. With dark grins, the snipers took aim and shot.

Hearing the blasts, Sparrow dodged just enough so that the bullets did not hit anything important, however she did not escape unfazed as one planted itself in her left shoulder and the other in her right thigh. Grunting in pain, she glared at the shooters and sent a blast of fire at them. As the quarterdeck erupted into flames, Dread vanished and reappeared atop the main mass. He growled softly as Sparrow made short work of his men via a flurry of bullets, magic, and steel. She reminded him too much of the man that had stolen his life and title.

Before long, the entire deck was covered with glowing white specks and no more ghosts appeared. Blood trickled down the wound scattered about her body and the bullet holes in her should and leg were beginning to burn like hell. Her breath was ragged and her Will lines glowed brightly from every spell she had conjured. Groaning in pain, she let her arms hang down as she drank in the air greedily.

Suddenly, a gust of wind lifted up the exhausted Hero until she was eye level to the smirking Dread. "I must say, ye are more resilient that I first thought. But let's see if ye can handle this!" He then swung his arm and Sparrow found herself plummeting hard towards the ground. With a yelp, she quickly forced the air around her to swirl and lessen her fall. Though... not by much. As she slammed against the wood of the deck, she could feel something in her back pop rather painfully as splinters of rotten wood dug through her shirt and into her skin. Groaning, she got up to her feet and glared up at the laughing Captain.

"Why you...!" raising her pistol, she began to shoot wildly at the mass where Dread stood. He laughed as he jumped away from the bullets but then snarled as they ripped apart his precious ship's sails.

"You little harlot!" he growled darkly as he pulled out his own large [and rather deadly looking] pistol. "Ye shall do no more damage to The Marianne!" He sent several rounds in her direction. However, unlike the others, these blasts seemed to have a touch of Will infused in them for when they came down they came down hard and powerful. Rolling out of the way, Sparrow shot several more shots his way. While most passed by him harmlessly, some managed to clip the edges of his glowing body.

The two continued this little game of 'tag' for several minutes before Dread completely vanished. Her pistol raised and her eyes darting about, Sparrow tried to find the vanished undead Captain. A sudden sharp pain pierced through her shoulder as Dread appeared behind her and dug his cutlass into her skin. Snarling, Sparrow quickly drew out of her blade and swung, forcing Dread to remove the rusted metal from her arm. Sparks flew as blade met blade, each trying to overpower the other.

"This had turned out more entertaining than I first thought." smirked Sparrow as she held back Dread's sword. An exciting glow emitting from her lifeless eyes as she battled for dominance over the ghost. Dread smirked and pushed his sword harder against her katana, causing her to take an involuntary step back. Raising his gloved hand, he sent a powerful blast of wind towards her. Forcing the Will around her, her body flashed as she took a powerful leap backwards to avoid the Vortex and reappearing on the quarterdeck. A dark smirk played across her lips as she gently ran her hand across the wooden wheel.

"It's a nice ship you got, Dread..." she taunted in a somewhat dark, seductive tone.

This caused Dread to flare up with rage. Nobody touched his Marianne. Nobody!

With a snarl, Dread charged and jumped up high, his blade to slice her in half. Raising her hands, four spiritual blades began to dance around her. With a wave of her hand, the blades shot forward towards the specter, each one digging into one of his limbs. The sudden force caused his leap to be diverted so that he landed right back on the deck with a painful slam. Groaning, he tried to get up but found that each Will created blade had pierced right through his body and then dug into the thick wood of the deck, pinning him down. He tried to evaporate and reappear elsewhere, but a powerful boot slammed against his chest. Looking up, his dark eyes met with glowing blue as well as the gleam of a pistol aimed at his head.

"Game over, Dread. I win." Her voice held such a coldness that even Reaver would shiver. Dread tried once more to vanish, but the blades in his arms and legs dug deeper, breaking his concentration. With a faint smile, Sparrow raised her pistol slightly and pulled the trigger. The blast echoed rather painfully through the cave as well did Dread's death cry. As his ancient spirit faded away, Sparrow's foot slide through and gently hit the deck's wood and the four energy blades vanished. With a sigh, Sparrow sat down on the ground and allowed her pistol and katana to drop to the ground. Wincing in pain, she moved her arms around enough to slide her backpack off of her shoulders and gently sat it on the ground.

The moment she did, a little bundle of white fur rolled out. The little creature tried to stand up on its legs, but quickly toppled over as a wave of dizziness overcame it. It tilted its head slightly and gave Sparrow the closest thing to a glare it could create. The Hero laughed lightly.

"Sorry, Sylver. But I had to keep you in there so that you wouldn't get hurt." she said with a small, almost sheepish smile. The little Balverine gave a wolfish sigh and allowed his still disoriented body to slump onto the cool wood of the deck. Sparrow sat there for several minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet as the soft waves of the sea gently rocked the boat. Her body was sore all over and the areas where she was shot burned with a fury. She was going to have to dig those out later. With a sigh, she got back up to her feet and slowly made her way to the quarterdeck, her hand gripping at the railing to keep her from falling over. Once up there, she gently ran her hand over The Marianne's wheel once more. As she did, she felt a small surge of power flow from the wheel and into her hand.

The ship then suddenly lurched forward, its sails flowing in an invincible wind as it crept from its cavern port. This caught Sparrow by surprised and she instantly clung to the wheel tightly as if she was about to fall off. It then hit her. Though without its ghostly crew, the ship itself was still somewhat of a Ghost in itself as it had sank to the bottom of the sea when Reaver had killed Dread the first time. As The Marianne spilled out into the open sea, Sparrow flinched slightly at the sudden flow of light. Once her eyes adjusted to the sun filled sky, she looked out into the gentle sea and felt something swell inside of her.

A blissful joy began to grow inside the pit of her soul. No having a feeling like this in a long time, it felt foreign to her, almost alien. However, before long, a gentle smile played across her lips and the long lost glow in her eyes began to slowly creep back. Hearing a small thump, she looked down at the deck and watched with amusement as Sylver stalked and pounced on a Wisp, which vanished and caused the pup to slide on the deck. As it looked back up at her with a surprised yip, Sparrow chuckled and looked back out at the sea.

"Maybe it's time... for a new beginning."

And in that moment... Sparrow knew what Freedom was...

-----

CE: Alright! First chapter redone and uploaded. Fixed a few errors I managed to come across as well as added a few extra details. I may not be good at fighting scenes, but I am rather proud of the scene with Dread ^_^

JA NE

[Goodnight]