"Fine then! I'll invite him out to play! He lives right there I'm going to knock on his door!" a small fair-haired child squeaked.

"No… Child! Wait! That boy, that house! They're cursed," replied a tall dark elf woman.

"Ha! Then I'm right! I knew it, he's trying to have somebody killed!" the boy shouted triumphantly. What a little asshole, I thought, It's no surprise his parents aren't here, bet she's his nanny or something.

"All right, I won't deny it child, what you've heard is true. But Aventus Aretino walks a dark path, his actions can only lead to ruin. Now enough. We will speak no more of this; I am the only friend you need."

I decided against my better judgment to inquire about this allegedly "cursed" boy.

"Excuse me," I called to the woman as I ran over to her position beside the house on the bridge, "Excuse me, who lives here?"

The dark elf was tall thin and dressed in a grey-black tunic, she glowered down at me behind a long nose. "No one of your concern," her voice was high and nasal.

"Please? I'd really like to know," I begged using my ever-so-suave powers of persuasion.

"Fine then, if it is really that important to you, a boy named Aventus Aretino lives here. But I would not recommend going in," she said in her annoyingly high pitched voice, somehow even though she was obviously condemned to the Grey Quarter and not of any import, she managed to sound as if she thought herself superior to all those that surrounded her.

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Because that boy is attempting to summon a band of murderers and cutthroats! This city has enough troubles as it is, without little boys contacting some shadowy group of killers!" She stalked off without another word. OK then, I thought. I knew I shouldn't have gone into that house but something possessed me to peek inside.