Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned here.

This story was made only with entertaining purposes and is not intended to be taken seriously in any social, political or religious context under any circumstances.

"Avatar" and its characters belong to "Nickelodeon".

"Spawn" and its characters belong to "Image Comics"/Todd McFarlane.


Book Two: Earth

Fateful (K)nights

IV

The Night of Astonishment


Hours had passed since Aang and his friends went separate ways.

Regardless, the gleaming side of a marble moon lingered above him as the summit in the dark heaven, keeping Ba Sing Se submerged under a gloomy atmosphere. Sunrise remained distant, but the young Avatar continued navigating the wind gracefully, resembling an autumn leaf.

Piercing through the scarce clouds populating the starry nightsky, he looked down at the dormant city beneath. From the broad walls encompassing the horizon, to the convoluted, lifeless streets flowing across them, Aang scanned every cranny repeatedly, searching for a needle in a haystack.

The spirit of the crimson shroud.

'Even in a place as big as the capital of the Earth Kingdom, a havoc-wreaking spirit shouldn't be hard to find, right?'

His thoughts began wandering farther than his staff during the aimless flight, especially when all roofs seemed identical. Blind alleys stretched as far as his sight could reach, while the alternative routes were obscured by pitch-black shadows.

After overflying the same empty square for the twenty-seventh time, Aang's motivation slowly succumbed to disappointment and boredom.

'Of course he's gone! I should've been quicker…'

At the moment, more pressing matters required attention, and this fruitless, potentially-deadly quest has lasted long enough. Crestfallen, he let out a heavy sigh, then glided in the opposite direction with another air current.

Until something wicked, yet familiar, in his peripheral vision captured his focus…

Aang's gaze steadied upon a particularly tall building below him.

And there he was…

Before a soaring pole crowning that construction, a voluminous cloak waved like a floating river of velvety blood, projecting a monstrous shade over the nearby houses.

'It must be him! It has to be him!'

Smiling widely, Aang made a minor course-correction, decreased his speed, and plunged towards the building.

In the back of his mind, being happy to meet again with the ruthless killer worried him deeply. Whether that was normal or not, is a question that could wait for later.

His current doubts had a distinct origin, and this spirit withheld every answer he needed. The young Avatar wasn't willing to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

"There you are!" Aang said gleefully as soon as he landed. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you again."

Much to his fortune and dismay, that mysterious, shapeshifting cape was indeed the red-shrouded spirit of the lower ring.

"What the hell do you want now?" the entity barely acknowledged him.

"I just want to talk." Aang gently tapped his staff on the tiled roof, causing the wings protruding from its shaft to fold inside it.

"There's nothing to talk about," the spirit abruptly broke eye contact with him, and stared into the distance. "Nothing you do will bring back those I killed."

"I-I know. But maybe I can convince you to stop killing more people."

"You're going to end up disappointed…"

Aang scowled.

From the start, he knew this wouldn't be easy. However, he actually expected that their previous… 'confrontation' had carried them past their differences, and they finally would agree about something. Even Koh wasn't that unyielding.

Nonetheless, the responsibility of establishing a bridge fell almost solely on him. Such was the Avatar's duty.

Thus, he breathed in, exhaled, and repeated, doing his best to swallow his displeasure.

"Every life is a unique treasure," he spoke calmly, stepping forth. "Even the life of the tiniest spiderfly caught in its own web."

"You're wrong, kid. Not all lives are worth the same."

"I beg to differ. But even if that were true, you still didn't need to kill those people."

"The thugs I killed deserved to die!" the entity suddenly rose, glaring incandescent-green daggers at him. "An innocent girl would've died if I hadn't intervened."

"Killing murderers won't solve anything! You'd only be taking their place." the young Avatar grew slightly intimidated by the towering spirit in front of him, but he stood his ground, adamantly refusing to show hesitation or weakness.

"Yeah, because killing a psycho to save hundreds makes you equal to him that murders children for laughs."

"What if they had a family!? What if there's someone still waiting for them to return home!? And now, thanks to you, they'll be waiting forever!"

"And what about the families of their victims? When criminals decide to break the law, they also accept all the consequences that come with it. But victims do not get to make that call. Having sympathy for murderers is spitting in the graves of their victims."

"B-But-Ah-Em…" Aang flinched, his sight dropping to his feet while he quietly sought for a good counter-argument.

"You weren't there," the entity turned its back on him, sitting down once more. "You expect a lot from people, boy. People never change, and there's enough of that shit in my conscience already. But you're too young to understand that."

"I… I do know what that's like… Seeing others pay the price for your mistakes…"

Surprisingly, the spirit glanced at him from above its shoulder with what appeared to be mild curiosity.

"I was raised by monks in the Southern Air Temple," Aang took a seat beside the entity, hugging his legs against his chest. "When they told me I was the Avatar, my whole life changed forever, in just a moment. And not for the better, if I'm being honest… Everyone started treating me differently, every day was training and I wasn't allowed to have fun like the other kids. And then, the monks decided to send me to another temple so I could continue my Avatar training. I was confused and afraid, I… I ran away, in the middle of a storm that I couldn't escape… I fell into the sea, and the next thing I remember was waking up in the South Pole with Katara and Sokka, my friends from earlier."

"And you're telling me this because…"

"After I escaped, the war began, the Fire Nation attacked my people… They needed me, the world needed me and I wasn't there… But you don't seem to know any of that, so I take it that you're not a spirit, are you? I could understand you not caring, but not knowing about the war? That seems weird."

"Hmm… You're smarter than you look."

The young Avatar scowled again, but there was progress, finally! So he decided to brush off that comment and carry on.

"So, if you don't mind me asking… what exactly are you?"

"Just a guy with terrible luck who has made the wrong choices in life. And death…"

"I'm… I'm really sorry, but… I'm not sure that answers my question. I would like to know more, maybe I can help."

"You can't help me. No one can…"

Stillness dominated the ambient when that sentence concluded. The cool, nocturnal breeze enveloped them, compensating for the lack of words.

Aang's vision parted from the entity, drifting away into the skyline spreading ahead. He tried not to move if it wasn't absolutely necessary, pondering about what he should say next, instead of just embracing the unbearable quietude, the maddening impotence, the hopelessness…

'Wait… That's it!'

"You know," the young Avatar resumed, his stare fixated upon the nightly scenery. "Recently I learned that being strong and running away from your feelings are not the same thing. Just a few days ago, I lost someone very dear to me. My flying bison, his name is 'Appa'. We've been together since he was a little calf, but some sandbenders stole him, so me and my friends have been looking for him here in Ba Sing Se."

"A 'flying… bison'?" the entity's face twisted to a confused expression, or so it seemed underneath that blackened mask with a pair of white, wing-like markings surrounding its eyes.

"Yeah!" Aang exclaimed. "When I find him, we can go together for a ride! I mean, if you want to… A-Anyways! What I'm trying to say is that, after losing Appa, after losing everyone I knew when I fled from the Air temple, all I had were negative thoughts. Thoughts that started to hurt me and my friends. Losing hope is something nobody should ever do, because hope is what reminds us why we keep fighting, or traveling, or just living!"

No response followed, only a disinterested grunt.

"I don't know what happened, but you look like you lost hope a long time ago. I would like to help you retrieve it."

"I appreciate the thought, boy. But it will take more than just 'hope' to fix me. My life is enough of a mess as it is right now. There's no need to drag you down with me."

"Well, I think we should start with hope, and work our way from there."

"Hmph… You say very interesting things, kid. Especially for how young you look…"

"Actually, I'm 112 years old."

The entity slowly turned to Aang, giving him a look of disbelief.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

The young Avatar simply grinned and shrugged, earning a weak laugh from the shrouded figure.

'Did-Did he just laughed?'

Aang's broad smile gradually changed to a feeble smirk while he internally celebrated his accomplishment of softening this… mystifying being. Violence always generates more violence, but any kindness offered at others can be returned.

'It all comes full circle, like a ring…'

"Oh, right! I found this back in the alley," he unexpectedly blurted out, reaching down for one of his pockets, revealing the golden ring he retrieved earlier. "I was wondering if it belongs to you."

In first glance, the entity's intrigue over the item was very little. However, less than a second later, the spirit stood up, and abruptly snatched the gleaming trinket from his palm with a reaction born of despair, not aggression.

"How could I lose it?" the spirit whispered, cupping the ring protectively in its hands. "T-Thanks. This… It means a lot to me…"

"See?" Aang replied, also rising off the ground. "There's nothing wrong about putting your trust in others every now and then."

Afterwards, the entity lifted its gaze to meet the Avatar's.

"If you're willing to trust people this much, then trust me now…"

A crimson claw ascended high in the air, and a greenish, ghostly glow swiftly manifested around it. A spectral fume smoldering towards the sterile firmament, unfazed by the wind's blow.

"Don't worry, it's not going to hurt… physically…"

Despite that, freezing sweat suddenly drenched Aang's nape, making him wary anew. His knees trembled, turned to jelly.

And he still endured it, remaining motionless, nodding silently in acceptance. The young Avatar knew they were beyond all conflict. He would be either hurt or dead already if the shroud had really wanted it.

Aang shut his eyelids, taking a deep breath.

There wasn't any basis for dread now, just the primal fear of the unknown…

The entity unhurriedly approached until the incandescent, ethereal radiance gently caressed his forehead. He flinched, it somehow felt both cold and hot, but pain never registered in his senses.

Then, every thought crossing his mind was quickly replaced with a gallery of suffering…


Wide pillars of polychromatic light cascaded upon him, mercilessly searing into his pupils, the stained glass at the front couldn't suppress the sunbeams.

He looked down, blinking repeatedly, and when his blurry vision cleared, the first thing he perceived was the strange suit encompassing his silhouette. A close-fitting jacket of a black fabric, rough to the touch, same as the pants, or the stiff shoes he wore.

His sight followed through, tall candle holders dimly lit the enormous hall where he stood. Broad, ivory walls supported a skyscraping, dome-shaped roof embedded with various crystals.

"With this ring, I thee wed…"

A soothing voice announced.

He instinctively turned, being dazzled by the presence of a beautiful woman beside him, her caramel skin contrasted beautifully against the long, pristine dress hugging her curves in a perfect hourglass form.

She smiled softly while she opened the translucent veil concealing her face, and the huge mane of obsidian, spongy hair crowning her head.

"-In sickness and in health, until death do you part."

Once those words were spoken, the woman tenderly took his hand between hers, and placed a ring of gold on his fourth finger, which had a peculiar inscription within it.

'Al & Wanda forever'

She took a step forward, closed her eyes and leaned in, parting her red, plump lips.

Wholly enticed, he obliged and mimicked her actions, steadily pursuing the kiss.

But then, there was fire…

A blazing, all-consuming flame sparked out of nowhere.

It engulfed her as she guarded an unnatural stoicism. It engulfed him, gnawing at his skin peeling off his flesh like the rind of a fruit.

He frantically patted his body to suffocate the fire.

However, it didn't recede. It only grew stronger and fiercer.

The building began collapsing, brobdingnagian pieces of rubble rained from above, giving place to a tenebrous jungle.


"You have to speak up, Al, if you wanna' be heard…"

Prone on the grass, he desperately crawled while his bare muscles remained ablaze.

His escape drew to a close when a leather boot crushed his wrist.

Wincing, he glanced upwards, encountering a smudgy figure.

A nefarious man, whose face was hidden under ashen war-paint that impersonated death itself. His garments were dull and baggy, with several pouches, distinct from anything he's seen thus far, just as the atypical, telescope-like device he wielded.

"We were partners, Jess! Brothers!"

He spat to the apparition, the darkest smoke filling his lungs.

"I trusted you my life a hundred times… Why!?"

"You stupid boy-scout, you were always the target! From the day we met, my job was to take you down and the time just came!"

The skull-faced man pointed the strange object at him.

A ceaseless discharge of flames emerged, burning what little meat still clutched to his bones.

The pain… It knew neither end nor limit…

He screamed and screamed and screamed until his throat roared in agony.

But his cries for mercy were attenuated by a cackling, twisted mirth reverberating across the ambient. A mocking horselaugh belonging to a pygmy, squabby shadow frivolously dancing above a pile of carbonized skeletons.

And then, a deafening thunderbolt tore through the vermillion heaven.


The moon rapidly became a slim crescent, a sliver of glowing white in an otherwise inky sky that couldn't even bring a greyscale luminescence.

The vast expanse of clouds blanketing the celestial vault illuminated with another lightning.

Dropping to his knees, he placed a crimson-gloved claw upon the grave marker in front of him, reading the diffuse engraving on its fractured surface.

'Simmons'

"How could this happen to me?"

His voice cracked, the shroud billowed possessively while a hundred tombstones agglutinated all around him, as if he was the center of the cemetery.

The land beneath his feet unexpectedly trembled, and shortly later, wet dirt mightily bounced everywhere after a mangled arm abruptly rose from the soil.

A pair of flayed, rotting hands surrounded his neck, violently lunging forth.

Thus was revealed an unearthed cadaver, a living corpse pinning him to the ground.

Its yellow teeth were completely bare, since it no longer had lips. Its eyes didn't exist anymore. Instead, a scarlet brilliance inhabited its empty, scalped cranium. And its pale, decomposing body hardly stayed together, like a failed attempt of replicating a human.

"You made a deal, you stupid son of a bitch."

The carcass spoke, although, its loose-hanging jaw didn't move accordingly.

"You made a deal with 'Malebolgia'. The deal was: You see Wanda, and then you become 'Hellspawn', a ranking officer in the Devil's army."

His own palms went to clamp the undead's forearms, and he pressed with all his strength, hoping it would undo the asphyxiating grip.

Nevertheless, the attacker seemed unaffected by his efforts.

"Time to pay the favor…"

Slowly, the corpse opened its mouth, liberating a million worms, as well as a viscous, shining fluid, similar to honey, but of a sickish, viridescent coloration.

The abhorrent substance continued oozing over him without anything he could do about it, for the reanimated cadaver subjugated him greatly, despite its feeble appearance.

And eventually, his whole world turned green…


The green faded from his field of view in a flash.

Aang stumbled backwards, then fell, releasing a shaky gasp that left him panting.

"You alright, kid? Take it easy."

Hyperventilating, he took fast glances around the terrain, but there was no temple or any woman on his side, no flames or living corpse assaulting him.

Everything just vanished in a mere instant.

'W-Was it all a dream?'

His breathing soothed and his nervousness eased, allowing him to find himself still sitting upon the tiled roof of that tall building with the shrouded entity standing before him.

"Wha-… What was that!?" the young Avatar questioned while he clutched his chest, feeling his heart frantically drumming against his palm.

"That was me…" the entity replied. "Everything I lost, and how they took it away from me…"

'But it felt so real… Am I going insane?'

"I… I'm sorry… I-I had no idea…" Aang buried his face between his hands, shaking his head. An overwhelming guilt gripped his conscience as those nightmarish pictures of loss, betrayal and death endlessly replayed behind his eyelids.

"Of course not. How could would you?"

Following a brief silence, the Avatar looked up, wiping the tears blurring his vision.

Unfortunately, the cloaked spirit suddenly disappeared.

He quickly stood and spun, his gaze exploring the vicinity thoroughly. An amber dawn started covering the city, golden streams of sunlight crept through the mountain range afar, seeping into the streets.

Yet, the dark entity was conspicuous by its absence.

Aware of his solitude, Aang sighed heavily, lingering for a few more seconds prior to retrieving his staff. The wings unfurled from the shaft, and he leaped towards the cerulean mantle sheltering Ba Sing Se, the morning breeze carrying him home.

Now, the young Avatar had new questions.

This time, though, he would rather leave them unanswered…


"History has given me many names," the old man said, placing an empty cup on the table ahead him. "Today, I am known as 'Cogliostro'."

Back at their house in the upper ring, the group gathered with the stranger of the alley to discuss his knowledge. Mostly what concerned the red shroud stalking the firelight fountain.

"But long ago, my name was 'Merlin'…" he continued. "In the time of knighthood, I was the sword of 'Malebolgia', supreme overlord from the eight circle of hell. I harvested countless souls for his army. And yet, he denied me a warrior's death… I was condemned to live an eternity as a knight without honor. So I began studying the black arts, to undo the curse of the shroud and retrieve my humanity. My efforts were successful, fortunately, but my fight is far from over."

"So, are there others like… him?" Katara asked upon taking a sip from her own tea.

"In every age, Malebolgia brings a 'Hellspawn' to the land of the living. Since I broke my shackles, I've devoted my existence to guide the new recruits, keep them away from hell's temptations. The 'Spawn' you face now is no exception."

"But what does he want?" Toph interrupted. "What is he doing in Ba Sing Se?"

"The battlefield changes each time, but the goal remains the same… Human souls, 'spirits', like you call them. There is a war going on as we speak, between the forces of heaven, and the vile minions of hell. Our protectors against our predators. Which side is which, is a question that becomes more difficult to answer with each battle waged. And he, the Hellspawn, will be the commander of the frontlines, as I was in my day. The mortal world is the theatre of war, and our souls are the prize for both sides, like it has always been, and always will be…"

"So this… 'Hellspawn', is in fact, an evil being?" Katara cocked an eyebrow.

"Our origin is impure, yes. Something born from the worst humanity has to offer, then reshaped by infernal monsters. But he is not unlike a puppet, only another piece of the puzzle, as we all are in the grand scheme of things. Tortured souls desperately chasing a fine thread of light, to help them escape their horrid reality. Like a moth drawn to the flames."

"I knew it!" Sokka exclaimed as he paced around the table. "I knew that freak was up to no good!"

"He's not a freak…"

Concerned looks swiftly fell over the thoughtful Avatar, who was kneeling before the window at the other side of the main hall.

"Aang?" Katara called, visibly worried.

"He showed me…" Aang spoke, remaining entranced by the imagery beyond the crystal. "I saw everything through his very eyes. His love, his loss, sorrow, anger. He's just like any of us. He was loved, betrayed, and then cursed. I-… I felt his pain as if it was my own…"

When his words quieted, everyone else's did too…

"My thanks for the tea, but I must take my leave," after a bit, Cogliostro rose from his zabuton and put on his hat. "I have to find the Hellspawn before it's too late."

"Wait! You can't go alone, it's too dangerous!" Katara got up as well, chasing for the man walking towards the entrance.

"And we still have questions." Toph added.

"Don't fret," Cogliostro stopped, turning to face the trio. "For the truth will soon reveal itself to you. Dark days are coming. A chain of events has been set in motion, one that you cannot stop, one which does not distinguish between innocents and sinners. You must be prepared, all of you, to make choices, sacrifices that will have everlasting repercussions in the future of the whole world, and your own lives…"

With that, the stranger of the alley spun again, opened the front door, and left the house.

"Alright, I'm confused." Sokka said, his stare still fixed in the place where the old man lastly stood.

"Yeah, what the 'talking grimoire' said just made things worse."

"Really, Toph? 'Talking grimoire'?"

"Well, the man clearly speaks in riddles. Plus, he smells like an old book."

Sokka shrugged and stretched his lips into a thin line, agreeing quietly.

"So, back to the beginning, I suppose. Appa is still missing, that… 'hell-spaun' thing is still out there and we don't have any clue on how to beat it. What are we supposed to do now!?"

"I think we should drop the subject," Toph laid down on the floor, placing her hands under her head. "Let the Dai Li handle it. Meanwhile, we focus on finding Appa."

"What!? You called me out when I said that," Sokka snapped, throwing his arms to the air. "And now you want to back down!?"

"That was before realizing we're up against an all-powerful creature that we still have no clue of what it even is, let alone how to fight it."

"What do you mean?"

"I… I couldn't even tell where it was back in the alley."

"Like the desert?"

"No, no, in the desert everything was fuzzy, but at least I had a slight sense of my surroundings. With the 'Spawn'… It's just kind of there, but not really. Like a thought in the back of your mind. I couldn't feel its presence at all, I just spotted it by the sound of its voice, and the chains. I can't fight something I can't sense, and you guys didn't do much better either!"

Sokka sighed. "Look, I get it. But it's not the first time we come across some wacky, mambo-jambo, spirit thingy. Like… we just have to… keep looking, and… Katara, can you help me out on this?"

"Actually, I agree with Toph," Katara answered. "We should forget this and keep looking for Appa. Right now, I'm more worried about Aang. He's been acting weird and talking nonsense since he came back."

"You really shouldn't have let him go."

Katara didn't reply.

She merely chewed on her bottom lip while gazing to the roof contemplatively, occasionally letting her sight drift towards the distant Avatar.

Silence and uncertainty engulfed them all later on…


The sound of water droplets and footsteps echoed in the tranquil catacombs below Lake Laogai.

Long Feng walked through the narrow corridors filled by looming darkness. A thousand crystals embedded on the ground lightened the path ahead with a dim, sapphire glow.

The reports from his agents concerning the failed operation in lower Ba Sing Se were… confusing, nonsensical even. It only elicited more questions, not answers. Thus, he decided that handling the situation personally would be the best solution.

A short time passed until his hurried hike led him to an obscure passageway apart the rest, at the end of which was one Dai Li guarding a closed gate.

"Welcome back, sire." he said, bowing lightly.

"Inform, agent." Long Feng replied upon reaching his side.

"My apologies," the agent answered, keeping his head down. "But we haven't managed to obtain more information from neither of both agents. Their physical state is critical, and their trauma seems to be quite severe as well. This one appears to be incapable of performing coherent sentences."

"What about the other?"

"He remains unconscious. Our best medics are treating him as we speak, but so far his condition hasn't shown any sign of improvem-"

"Irrelevant! The balance within the city lies at risk, especially with the Avatar's constant interference. If word of this spreads, we may lose the trust and control of the King."

Following that, Long Feng approached to the closed door, and slid it open with the loud, gritty noises of stone grinding against stone.

A small, dark room was unveiled. Inside, he encountered a battered Dai Li chained to an iron chair. His garments were torn and dusty, his skin heavily bruised, tainted by several scratches, while his sight endured fixated over his feet.

"Why is he chained?" Long Feng asked.

"He attacked us without provocation," the agent accompanying him responded. "He was paranoid, we couldn't reason with him, so we were forced to retaliate. It took hours and six men just to take him here."

Long Feng huffed, frowning as he clenched his hands behind his back. A storm of lingering doubts haunted him.

'What sort of thing could leave a man in such a deplorable state? All the more so, in just one night…'

"Thank you, agent, I'll take it from here. Stay outside and await further orders."

The Dai Li nodded, turned around, and left the claustrophobic room, shutting the door again on his way out.

When the shadows took over, Long Feng stepped before the shackled earthbender beneath a wide pillar of sunlight coming from above.

"Agent? Agent!? Can you hear me?"

Ever so slowly, the chained Dai Li lifted his head, revealing a blank expression on his pale face glistening with sweat and clotted blood.

"L-Long Feng?"

"Yes. Listen close, and think well before you speak," Long Feng crouched in front of the earthbender, their gazes leveling. "I need you to tell me exactly what happened in those alleys the other night. Did you find the murderer of those thugs? Was the 'blue spirit' there? He did this to you?"

The chained Dai Li remained silent for a moment, moving his mouth, seemingly to talk, yet no words were spoken.

Unexpectedly, he let out a sharp gasp, then started hyperventilating. His dilated pupils swiftly constricted, his eyes darting back and forth across the room, as if wary of an invisible threat.

"The chains… The chains peered with their green eyes into our very spirits… and deemed us unworthy…"

"Speak clearly."

"The living chains… It breaks through rock and bone like glass… He said he would come for us…"

"Who, agent?" Long Feng cocked an eyebrow, leaning slightly closer. "Who will come for us?"

"The red shroud… Stay away from the alleys… They belong to him now… Not even the King himself is allowed…"

The earthbender lowered his sight anew. Then, he began to forcefully dig his fingers into the steel armrests of his chair, until his nails detached from his digits, at which he didn't even flinch.

"Don't you see!? We stand no chance! Everything is lost… Everything is lost!"

Suddenly, the Dai Li quickly rose and lashed against Long Feng, but he was kept in place by his restraints.

Long Feng unwittingly retraced a few steps, deeply startled. The tinkling hiss of chains seized the scene as the enraged earthbender struggled to break free, baring his teeth like a ravenous beast.

He stood still, allowing his accelerated breathing to stabilize. After the shock subsided, he looked at the Dai Li with disdain, waiting for an opening.

When he found his opportunity, Long Feng abruptly hit the crazed earthbender's neck using the side of his palm in a knifehand strike, instantly rendering him unconscious. The now-dormant man collapsed back into his seat, resembling a puppet whose strings were cut.

Long Feng huffed again, shaking his head. He had no use for a rabid animal among his ranks.

So he simply wiped some dirt off his clothes and turned around, heading towards the door.

"Sire?" the other Dai Li called when Long Feng emerged from the interrogation room.

"Agent, gather your best men and head to the firelight fountain in the lower ring. I'll meet you there when the night falls."

"As you wish, at once…" the agent paused to clear his throat. "Sire, if I may, what mission we will undertake at the fountain?"

"A hunt. If these rumors hold any truth, then that… 'red shroud' is much more of a threat than the Avatar and his friends. I want to see it for myself, and we will demonstrate why we're the ones in control of this city…"

With that, Long Feng resumed his path into the obscure corridor, vanishing amidst the shadows flooding the serpentine passageways ahead.