Preface
Melliachd's lungs burnt with every breath she took. All those twists and turns she had taken, yet she could still hear her pursuers behind her. The clanging of their chainmail bounced off the walls, multiplying the sound, which made it seem like there was a whole horde behind her. The tiefling's heart was racing, her eyes darting left to right in desperate search for a way out. The walls to her left and right didn't offer any kind of structure she could have used to climb, so her only option was to try and outrun them. The weights of her bags filled with food and coins she had stolen from several market stalls earlier seemed to get heavier with every step she took. Gasping for breath, she took a sharp turn around the next corner. The view in front of her changed immediately. The sandstone walls that even seemed to shimmer golden in the sunlight were replaced by grey crumbling stone. The stink of decay and faeces filled the air, making Mel's eyes water. As revolting as this place seemed to everyone else, the thief sighed with relief upon entering it. She'd made it. This was her home. She heard the market patrols behind her come to a skittering halt right before the corner. They knew they were outnumbered in that quarter of the city. Only the poorest and worst of criminals lived here and none of them had a good word to say about anyone in the king's service. A crumbled shed on the right gave the tiefling an opportunity to climb atop the roof. She might have been one of the most feared in this quarter, but she didn't want to take her chances of a group jumping on her to get her loot. The sun began to set in front of her, bathing the palace behind the thief in a golden light. The glittering towers mockingly stood atop the hill, reminding everyone how wealthy the kingdom was. None of that wealth ever reached the houses Melliachd was currently walking on. She had to be careful not to step into any holes in the roofs which formed an invitation for heaps of water to seep through. However, the inhabitants of those constantly damp houses were already the lucky ones. No matter, which alley Melliachd passed, it was filled with beggars in dirty rags, scrambling for whatever crump of food they could get. The girl felt a pang of guilt and fury at the same time. It shouldn't be her job to make sure she'd steal just enough to fill a few children's bellies besides her own, but if she wouldn't, no one would. Their most gracious king only cared for those subjects that were of any use to him. The people in Melliachd's quarters were locked up in poverty with no way out, left there to rot and starve. The tiefling felt her hatred boil through her blood, fuelling her lust for revenge. They had betrayed them all. They had betrayed her and Telf. And for that, she would get her revenge.