The Dawn of New Heroes
The strange cloaked man drifted through the crowded streets of Bowerstone. It had been many years since he had been here and it seemed that the whole world had changed around him. He continued until he reached the strange mustached man in the purple suit. "Murgo…I have what you asked for." He extended his hand and gently handed over the music box. "Do not forget…"
"Yes, yes I know, try to get the kids to buy it. What are their names again?"
"Rose and Sparrow…their father Eniki gave it to them."
"Ah yes…the Hero of Southcliff…shame about him."
"Killed by bandits and his house was burned…those two orphans were lucky to make it to the city this late in winter."
"Well they had a bit of help if I remember."
"I can only provide small aid…I am forbidden from directly interfering."
"Right…anywho, I have some customers. See you around!"
The man walked to the nearest tavern in Bowerstone to escape the cold. The Cow and Corset had few patrons at this hour that were savory. He ordered a beer and drank slowly, watching the snow outside fall like ashes from a fire. He thought back to the night Oakvale had burned. The tormented screams and agonizing cries, all his neighbors dying around him; only he and the young boy stood in the epicenter of that chaos. He had left him to his own devices and began to wander; safe guarding his family until the Seer called him for an important task. Every now and then he had set the events into motion that would change history. Leading Albert the Luminous to Oakfield, relocating the inhabitants of Knothole Glade to Knothole Island, putting the Fairfax family in power…he felt sick at what he had to do just to test a single Hero…and make another. He ran his fingers across the two blue tattoos that ran from beneath his eyes to his chin like a stream of tears. He shook his head and finished his beer looking out the window; it was nightfall, almost time now.
He walked through the street with his hood raised until he arrived at the spot Theresa mentioned. He saw the shadows dance in the windows…then he heard the gunshot. The frail little body went flying out the window before crashing into a roof and plummeting to the ground below. The man moved quickly to the child and uncorked the health potion. He repositioned the bones and poured the potion down the child's throat, the child coughed before laying still. He reached out weakly at the man above him, "Rose…"
His hand fell to the ground and he blacked out. The man stood as a dog came to lick the young boy's hand. "Death is not your destiny today, little Sparrow." The Seer said as she lifted the boy's body from the ground. "Come Warren, we have much to do."