Chapter One
Seagulls circled the small ship that was diligently cutting through the dark and choppy waters of the ocean. Several of the noisy birds swooped downwards and landed on the deck of the ship, warily approaching a young woman who was sitting with her back against pile of crates. Hand outstretched, she tossed them a handful of breadcrumbs, wordlessly watching them with her ruby-colored eyes as they greedily snatched the food and took off once again. A salt-scented breeze blew across the deck from behind her, blowing loose strands of her silver hair in front of her stark white face.
"Gabrielle, we'll be arriving in Azado soon," a booming voice announced from behind. She looked over her shoulder to see a tall, burly beastman with emerald eyes and long, blue hair, one massive foot propped up on one of the crates. He gave her a toothy grin, two pointed sets of fangs clearly visible.
"Thank you, Tigris," she said with a nod, pushing herself to her feet. The trip from Meribia had been long, but uneventful. Gabrielle didn't normally like boats, but it was the only way to get to Azado from Meribia. Besides, this method of transportation did have a few added bonuses. There were no time-consuming monsters to slay along the way, and it certainly was faster than going somewhere on foot. Still, she was tired of the stench of salted fish and sweaty sailors. "I can't wait to be on solid ground again."
"Me neither," Tigris agreed. "And I'm definitely looking forward to eating something other than fish."
"And here I thought you were just a big kitty," Gabrielle said with a smirk.
"Even big kitties get tired of fish," the beastman replied, tweaking one of Gabrielle's pointed ears. "Come on, let's get our things, I can already see the docks." Gabrielle followed Tigris below deck, abandoning the late morning sunlight for the dimmer light shed by the lanterns mounted on the walls. The ship was crowded, full of passengers and crew who were all eager to set foot on dry land. Tigris pushed his way through the noisy mob of people and made his way towards the back of the ship, Gabrielle following in his wake before the crowds drew closed again. They finally reached the crew's quarters, where they had been staying due to lack of funds. Gabrielle closed the door behind them once they were inside, muffling the voices of the rest of the passengers.
The crew's quarters were very pale in comparison to the lavish, well-furnished passenger's suites. Rows of bunk-beds ran along either wall, and hammocks were hung wherever they could fit. Still, it was better than nothing. Tigris tossed a small bundle of Gabrielle's personal belongings at her. "Heads up!" She caught it easily and tied it closed, but not before pulling her moneybag out and shaking its silver contents into her palm.
"We're hurting for money more than we thought, Tig... we only have about two hundred silver. That can buy us a room for a couple of nights, and we could scrape enough together for tonight's dinner, at least."
"We'll just have to get this job over with quickly, then. The sooner we get paid, the better," Tigris sighed, making sure that his sheathed broadsword was secure. Grabbing his own bundle of things, he looked towards his partner. "Ready to go ashore?"
"I've been ready for days," Gabrielle pressed, opening the door and walking out to where the crowd had been. The swarm of passengers had thinned out considerably, making their walk to the upper deck much easier this time around. As they resurfaced into the sunlight, they both shielded their eyes, which were more accustomed to the dim light of the rooms below deck, though they had only been out of the sun for a very short time. They joined the queue of sailors and passengers waiting to alight from the ship, moving slowly down the narrow ramp and onto the cobblestone streets of Azado. The beastman smiled at his elvish companion, then turned his gaze to the azure skies above.
"Beautiful day," he murmured, ruffling some of his hair with a massive hand. "We're lucky it didn't storm while we were on the ocean." Gabrielle grabbed his forearm as the line of people ahead of them began to speed up, pulling him along as she made her way down the ramp. "Very lucky indeed, but at the moment, food is more important than blue skies and pretty clouds," she said, earning herself a soft blow to the shoulder. Miffed, she shouldered her bundle and approached the nearest street corner, pausing to wait for Tigris. He soon joined her, folding his arms and peering at the sign that hung above a shop down the road.
"Seems like a nice town," he mused, examining the neatly kept yards of the houses that lined the streets. Every yard was tiny, but each had something to make it unique - an interesting bed of flowers, a piece of pottery that held a perfectly pruned plant, or even a statuette of the Goddess Althena. The streets were clear and almost completely free of dirt, the cobblestones as even as possible. "You ever been here before?"
"Once, a long time ago. If I remember correctly, the tavern is this way," said Gabrielle, taking a left and passing a couple of children playing jump rope. She paid them no mind, but Tigris smiled and waved at them as he walked by, earning himself two toothy grins and frantic waves in return. Gabrielle came to a sudden stop in front of a two-story building with a blue roof, the woodwork in impeccable shape. Nodding to Tigris, indicating that he should follow, she pushed the door open and walked inside.
The atmosphere inside wasn't nearly as squeaky-clean as the rest of the city, but it didn't seem up to normal tavern standards. Unlike other taverns they had been to, the air was neither thick with smoke nor rank with the stench of unwashed drunkards, the floor was swept, all of the chairs and tables were upright, and many of the patrons were smiling, talking or playing cards peacefully rather than engaging in drunken brawls. Gabrielle silently hailed the tavern-keep as she led Tigris towards the farthest table, settling into one of the simple wooden chairs and tilting it back so that she was leaning against the wall.
"The food here is decent," she said, watching Tigris shed his royal blue cloak and drape it over the chair next to him. "Don't order anything with eggs in it."
Tigris grinned, his sharp bicuspids showing clearly. "Thanks for the warning," he said, nodding to her as a surprisingly modest barmaid appeared next to their table. She smiled down at them, her curly brown hair neatly pinned back and away from her neck, her apron pristine and white.
"And what can I get for you two?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips with another good-natured smile.
"Ale," Gabrielle told her, tipping her chair forward again so that all four legs were even against the floor. "And whatever the special is for the night." The woman nodded and looked to Tigris.
"The same," he said, and with another nod, the woman disappeared into the kitchen. Tigris raised an eyebrow as she left, now intrigued by the seemingly "clean" nature of the city. "So," he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. "What's up with this place? I mean, it's pretty damn... wholesome."
Gabrielle shrugged and smiled at him. "Didn't you see that enormous temple when we pulled into the harbor? It's at the end of this street, built out over the water a bit. Beautiful place... it's one of the largest temples dedicated to Althena's Chosen. The largest outside of Pentagulia, in fact," she informed him, leaning forward to mimic his pose. "The whole order was quite corrupt a few years back... I'd say at least sixty years ago. The Chosen were really hard on this town, since the temple was located here... if people didn't comply to their rules, they would send great fireballs to plague the city. You should know that part."
"Right," Tigris said grimly, frowning a bit. "My grandmother was a part of that... Red Priestess Mauri."
Gabrielle nodded. "I was here for some of it. The town simply didn't grow out of its clean-cut phase," she said, shrugging slightly. "There aren't any penalties for being immoral or unclean or having a different opinion anymore, but I suppose being 'good' just became habit for most of these people." She smiled at him as the barmaid returned, setting a cold mug of ale in front of each of them. "It makes Azado a very pleasant place to visit, however."
"Apparently... too bad we don't have time to relax and enjoy ourselves," said Tigris, taking a long swig of ale. "Where's this guy we're supposed to talk to?"
"Fax said he lives in a small house on the east side of town. He's been scaring a lot of the locals, apparently... he said we'll know the house when we'll see it. It's not nearly as well-kept as the others," said Gabrielle, indulging in her own drink, eagerly welcoming the taste of something other than fish. "Let's see, it's mid-afternoon now... we'll have plenty of time to call on him after we eat."
Both full and satisfied, Gabrielle and Tigris left the tavern some time later, preparing to find the man they had been sent to seek out. Following the directions they had been given by Fax, who happened to be their contact in Meribia, they found the house easily. Fax had been kind when he said that the house was "not nearly as well-kept as the others." There were upturned cobblestones in the walk, and both the yard and garden were completely overgrown. The elf and beastman exchanged a bemused glance.
"This has to be it," Tigris said, shaking his head slightly in disbelief while idly scratching the back of his neck with one of his oversized hands.
"I would say so," Gabrielle said coolly, arching a single silver eyebrow. "Let's go." Beckoning for her companion to follow, she started up the walk, gracefully hopping over the larger slabs of misplaced stone. Taking the stairs up to the front door two at a time, she raised her right fist and knocked. Behind her, Tigris shifted slightly, causing the wooden planks that made up the floor of the porch creak softly beneath his weight.
They waited, but no answer came. Gabrielle knocked again, a sharp rapping of knuckles against weathered wood. Still no vocal response, but the knock wasn't followed by silence this time, either. A loud crash was heard, as if someone had knocked over a piece of furniture, followed by a shattering of glass - a lamp, perhaps? The elvish woman sighed and looked up at her companion.
"Someone's in there. I say we barge in," she advised, narrowing her eyes a bit as she turned to face the house again. She squinted, trying to see into the window next to the front door, but what was left of the glass in the window was extremely dirty, and the curtains were drawn.
"I'll go first," Tigris said with a slight nod. Gabrielle stepped aside to make room for him, ready to cast a spell if who or whatever was inside decided to attack them. Tigris approached the door, leaning his shoulder against it, prepared to force it open with brute strength. However, much to his surprise, the door swung open easily when he tried the knob. "... unlocked," he mused quietly. He took a step inside, slowly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light. Gabrielle stepped in behind him, leaving the door open to let some of the late afternoon sunlight into the house, though it did little good. It was almost completely dark, though they could make out the shapes and shadows of furniture and other objects - mostly broken ones, at that - here and there.
As Tigris took another step forward, he heard an almost frantic shuffling, a bump, and the sound of broken glass softly scuttling across the hardwood floor. Whoever was in the house sounded like they were, indeed, in the same room as the mercenaries. Tigris' ears perked up, erect as he strained to listen for any more sounds of movement. Gabrielle had pressed her back against his, not wanting to leave her own back exposed in a dark room. They both remained still for a moment, and that was when Tigris heard it. Breathing. A heavy, labored, raspy breathing, quick and fearful.
"Come out," Tigris commanded, using the power of his deep voice to its fullest extent. "We're not going to hurt you. We only want to talk." More scuffling, as if the person were trying to find somewhere to run.
"I don't talk to strangers." The voice was feeble, and obviously male. His voice had wavered slightly, fear clearly present as he spoke. Tigris turned his head in the direction the voice had come from, Gabrielle following suit. They both saw it at the same time: a thin, frail figure flattened against the wall, barely discernable in the darkness.
Tigris looked to Gabrielle, lost, searching for a solution to dealing with the situation at hand. The elf held up one hand as it signaling him to stop, to wait, before peering further into the darkness, doing her best to see the frightened figure more clearly. She sighed softly.
"I'm going to give us a little bit of light," she began, putting her hand down. "Don't be scared. We just want to talk to you. We're friends." Fanning out the fingers of her right hand, she twisted her wrist so that her palm faced upwards. A small orb of light rose from the palm of her alabaster hand, ascending into the air and growing. It soon illuminated a sizable portion of the room, and both Tigris and Gabrielle could now see who they were talking to.
The man was thin, barefoot, his clothing torn and tattered, and consisting of nothing more than a dirty shirt that may have once been white, as well as a pair of fawn-colored slacks that were rolled up the bottom and were loose around the waist and hips, clearly too big for him. His hair was pure white, though he was young. Long and matted, it reached the middle of his back and framed his thin, angular, and tired-looking face. Like Gabrielle, he was very pale, but not quite alabaster, as she was. Where her odd complexion was natural, his seemed to be of the sickly variety, slightly sallow and tinged with gray, probably from lack of exposure to the sun. His eyes were an eerie, iridescent sort of blue, just slightly sunken in. Overall, Gabrielle decided that the young man looked sorely malnourished and, judging by his dirt-smudged face, was badly in need of a bath.
"Why are you here?" he asked, voice shaking. He remained pressed up against the far wall, as if each inch that he put between these strangers and himself kept him that much safer.
"A friend sent us," Tigris said gently, slowly taking another step forward. The sickly young man looked panic-stricken as the beastman moved closer. Noting this, Tigris opted to stand still again. He thought it best not to mention Fax's name just then, just in case the figure in front of them wasn't on good terms with their current employer. "Thought you might need some help... someone to talk to."
"You're friends?"
"Friends," Gabrielle affirmed, nodding. "Can you tell us your name?"
"Your names first!" The reply was almost immediate, and extremely defensive.
"Very well." Gabrielle's tone remained even, patient. "My name is Gabrielle Valkyrie, and this is my partner, Tigris de Lioncourt. Now, will you give us your name, sir?"
"... Paris Grenouille." His reply was very hesitant, but he seemed to relax a bit now that all the proper pleasantries had been exchanged. Slowly, he began to ease away from the wall. He made a rather pathetic picture, standing there in his loose, ragged clothes, face and hair both dirty.
"Pleased to meet you, Paris," said Gabrielle, nodding politely. Tigris smiled pleasantly, feeling it was all he could do to put Paris at ease. Gabrielle looked up at the orb of light she had produced earlier. It had begun to dim. "Would you mind turning on a lamp or something? I don't know how much longer I can hold this." Paris nodded stiffly and groped for the switch on a nearby lamp, one of the very few that seemed to be intact. He finally found the switch, and the room was suddenly awash in a pale, yellowish light. Gabrielle closed her hand into a fist, causing the hovering orb of light to disappear instantly.
"Thank you, that's much better," she said, dusting her hands off.
"I know why they sent you," Paris began, eyes wide, yet strangely intelligent despite his childlike stance and speech. He took a few steps forward, wincing only slightly as his bare foot came down on a shard of glass.
"And why is that?" Tigris asked, sounding genuinely curious. Fax had not given either mercenary many details, simply where they were to find Paris, and that he was a nuisance to the citizens of Azado. If he seemed to be beyond all hope, they were to put him out of his misery. However, now that Tigris had laid eyes on him, he didn't think he would have the heart to do it if the situation arose. Paris seemed so frail, so helpless... killing was, when it came to people, at least, against his nature. Even though he looked much more fearsome than his companion, Gabrielle had always been the more ruthless half of the duo.
"They said I'm Zophar's spawn... Althena doesn't want people like me in her world..."
"Who said that?" Gabrielle asked, her interest now peaked. She had heard those words countless times before, though it was never because of something she had done personally. It was simply because of the color of her skin, or rather, the lack of color, or the marks on her body that she so desperately tried to keep hidden. Dark Elves and demons were not well-received on Lunar. Unfortunately for her, she was both.
"The priests. The priests at the temple; Althena's Chosen."
"Why? When?"
"Because I was bad... they said it after I tried to burn down their temple."