I have traveled to Tomalesh many times. But I have never been in the city. My superiors knew about my thoughts concerning slavery, and they couldn’t allow any conflicts. Therefore, I was always left outside, while they discussed the issues inside. We were not allowed to hunt inside the city, only outside.

No one wants a hunt to happen in their house, but that was only a pretext. They knew about the existence of cults inside, it’s just that they were under their protection as long as they supplied them with ‘materials’ and ‘goods’.

Nothing new. They were always rotten. But only when you go deeper you truly realize how fucked up the world really is.

The whole caravan is being looked through, and it is quite time consuming.

But there is a valid reason.

4 weeks ago, at about the same time I was cleaning that cult, several things happened. More than half of water wells were poisoned. A quick spreading disease appeared in the slums. Several assassination attempts on city leaders. News came that this was not the only city under similar attack. And to top it all, Caliphate attacked western border few days ago. People gathered pieces together and came to conclusion that it was a coordinated attack before the war.

But leaders knew about it and prepared. That cult was also prepared.

City is afraid of another attack. Leaders are nervous, guards are nervous, people are nervous. A vicious cycle.

After the 2 day review of caravan finished, we were finally allowed to enter the city.

Jitak together with his guards came to me as soon as everyone passed the gates.

“Sir Alan. I know that my words can not express my gratitude but I would like to thank you for the protection of our caravan. And here is a small sign of my gratitude”

He passed me a pouch, opening it I find 15 gold coins.

I look at him questionably.

“That’s not the agreed sum.”

“Of course. That amount is for the bandits, the dragons body and your work as a guard. How will I look if I pay you a dozen silver coins for saving my caravan.”

He looks so humble and thankful, but I know the truth. He paid at least 10 gold coins to that wind Wizard. Bandit belonging aren’t worth much. But the body of wyvern is worth at least 90 gold coins, if not 150. While looking grateful he is trying to scam me and make a profit out of this situation.

“You won’t mind my presence on the auction when the wyvern body will be sold?”

He visibly pales. The guards tense, understanding that their master just tried to fuck up a blood brotherhood member, well ex member, but they don’t need to know that.

He became much more humble, and after a bit more discussion, he payed me 70 gold coins. Additional to that, he wrote a really good review of my job on the guild contract. Even in this life and death situations, people like him don’t lose their merchant hunger, petty to each last coin.

If they would think a bit, they would understand that there is something fishy, blood brotherhood members are not allowed to have adventure card. They have different cards.

I find the Adventure guild hall in the center of the city. Entering it, I present the document of successful completion of the quest with a personal review from Jitak.

The receptions is not much different.

3 young girls with half a dozen guards behind them. After looking thought the review they gave me few curious glances and asked if I really killed a famous bandit group and a dragon. I corrected her and said it was a wyvern.

In the end they told me that I have been promoted to the class B adventurer. I payed for the new card, which contains much more powerful enchantment, but it also contains a tracking device. Not many know about it, and those who know don’t speak about it.

I ask about next caravan which would travel south, but am told that because of the war started no one knows when the next caravan will go. And even if one goes, it will me fully controlled by government and public guard quests or personal travel will not be available.

I should not stay here for long. I have less and less time left.

A group of 4 young men and 2 young women in good enchanted armor come to the counter next to me, which is the only one currently available, while my card is being enchanted.

Behind them is a tall white rabbit woman with short daggers on her side, two black wolfmen and a big red Lizardman. They all have enchanted steel slave collars on their necks. My eyes meet theirs, defeated and dead.

Slaves as adventurers are quite common for nobles. For them it is a cheap meat shield. All nobles are taught from childhood how to control slave collars. It takes quite some time until they are proficient enough. There are many forms of ‘punishment’ the collar can give. People are creative in the areas they should not be.

I look away from them. I need to be calm right now. It reminded me that there is still too much to do in the city. The slavery. And if the Luciferian cult was in Kamalesh, it’s highly likely that there is here, in Tomalesh.

Stupid names, who the hell came up with these names for the cities. As I was receiving the card a small movement to my left started.

“Hey, fucker.”

Says the one of the young nobles with long black hair and yellowish eyes. He grabs the ears of the white rabbit woman in his hand as she falls down on her knees.

“You looked at my property. This is mine. Who gave you the right to look? Do you want to die peasant?”

They all look down at me with disgust while the rabbit woman tries her best not to make any sound.

I am dressed in a thin shirt and a simple pair of pants. There is no need to buy new or better equipment right now. So maybe I look like a hobo with a sword.

Hold it, do not retaliate. It is not the right moment.

As I look outside and think about walking away the building exit is blocked by the wolfman pair, by orders of another noble.

I look back at the nobles in pity, as they are so green that they try to create a conflict out of nothing. Out of nothing. No. They do not need a reason, they are already rotten. I can see that in their eyes and actions. My face changes from expression of pity to even more disgust that they are showing.

I say nothing as I look at them.

Just give me a reason to end you all.

Faces of half the people in the guild change into fear and shock at my display of disgust at the nobles. Maybe they are ‘important’ people. But it does not matter.

The face of the man with black hair turns enraged as he takes out his sword.

“Fucking rat. I will teach you how to look at the next Emir.”

He swings his expensive looking sword, which is glowing with green, at me. I step forward and catch his right hand, which wields the sword. He tries to hit me with his left hand, which is glowing with golden light. I twist his right hand with a loud crunch as he explodes in a scream, while orienting him to my right side. I stomp his knee in the opposite direction with my foot as he crumbles to the floor and explodes in another scream.

Guild guards take out their sword, as the receptionist scream and hide. The other nobles and slaves unsheathe their weapons and prepared to attack me. Some city guards from outside the building start running inside. A fat man from the second floor runs down.

“Stop it immediately!”

The fat man looks down at the injured nobles as his face turns into a morph of rage and fear. They do not dare to attack while the noble is lying in my feet.

“You are under arrest for attacking an esteemed guild member!”

“I will kill you fucking rat!” says the crippled piece of meat through tears and wails of pain.

“You were not here during the event. He was the one who attacked first. Ask the people”

My sword is still sheathed, while his is on the ground, lying near him. By law, I am innocent.

“How dare you! You will be executed for your insolence.”

“He attacked. He is still alive. And you want to execute me for his actions?”

“You even dare to badmouth the young Emir. We gave you a mercy of quick death and you have the audacity to reject it. Kill him.”

Maybe if I didn’t look at him or the slaves, this shit wouldn’t happen.

No.

It all starts that way. Look away. Forgive. And allow the evil existence. It does not matter what happened, only what to do. I was going to clean this city, if it’s earlier, that’s not a problem.

I will die one way or another.

I put my hand on my sword as I start circulating mana for what is to come.

“NO! Please stop!”

Says the heavily breathing wind wizard while the strong wind blows around the building. The moment our eyes, meet she takes a step back and starts visibly shaking.

“Please do not kill them.”

“Esteemed young Wizard, he committed a grave crime. And he shall be punished for it!” Says the old man not understanding that she is addressing me.

“Please. They are just people. Do not kill them.”

Since the moment our eyes met, until now, she is still looking at me with pleading eyes. I am not sure what is there for her is this situation. But it does not matter, I can hear few mages and enforcers circling around my back to attack.

My scar starts to burn like it had a really long time before. I don’t have much time left.

“They will not allow me to walk away” I reply as I turn to the nobles.

“Come. Death awaits.” I finish as I finally unsheathe my sword.

The wizard yelps and falls back, while running out of the building.

My sword cleaves through two enforcers which tried to stab me in the back.

Death awaits all.

…

The moons shine quite brightly. It is hard to believe that a month ago, they were not visible at all. It is a bit cold, but nothing like it was in the north.

I killed a lot. Everyone who attacked me, the lying noble on floor, the mages and enforcers who tried to take my life. But the fat man and other nobles ran away before I could reach them. Fucking trash, started the problem and then ran away.

I didn’t have much time as more and more attackers came, so in the end, I had to run away myself. They let me run away, because you can easily track a person by the residual mana he leaves. If he leaves. More likely they did not think that it is possible to do so. Even the ‘peasants’ with extremely small affinities leave a trail, small, but still a trail.

Just in case they would try to track me by the new guild card I received I threw it into the canalization. Throwing away a thing, which I spent my money in less than an hour ago.

Hiding in the slums was quite easy. It is a huge place with tons of corners and hidden alleys. There were many parties sent to find me, but it is hard to find a single person in a huge city, even more one which could not be tracked. Sitting with back to the wall in a small alley, I start thinking about the situation I am in.

I could have left the lying noble alive. There was no head to chop his head off. That experience could have changed him. Useless waste of human life.

[Who are you lying? They never change. If you left him alive, he would use everything he has to get revenge upon you.]

And now his father will take revenge upon me.

[Less hunters. Less problems.]

Is this the way you are trying to cheer me up?

I send mana to my back and right hand. The cuts from the water mages spells are a bit too deep to simply ignore. I fall asleep before I know it.

…

The same dream as countless times before.

Children around continue to whimper and beg me to stop, for the pain to go away. They continue to beg for forgiveness while my body is frozen and I am not able to move.

At one point the dark world becomes grey and all the children freeze with their begging and whimpering expressions.

“I still don’t understand your fetish. Being verbally abused by children, a strange preference, but who am I to judge, right?”

A person in a fully white robe with burned white wings and eyes blue as the endless sky itself walks to me. His face could be called perfectly symmetrical, something that could not be created by man, something heavenly. His smile so warm and caring many would mix it with motherly one.

“You did a good job sitting in the north. Finding someone with all the chaotic energy caused by spirit magnetic center is hard. But it must have been harder to sit there in wait. Right?”

Fuck you piece of shit. Reincarnate into a goat asshole fucker.

“How harsh. There is no one closer to you than me in this whole world, and you treat me so badly. I came to see how my friend is, and the only thing I receive is this treatment”

Then why don’t you just disappear? Everyone will be better off.

“We have been at it for so long. Why don’t you just accept me. You and me, and all the living beings are just a part of the system. There was never ‘father’, only us, the ‘Initial’ and lie that people created to not think about their death and insignificance.”

“I know that you are somewhere in the dead desert. I could help you. Together we could do much more. Why do you continue to reject me? I have never done anything to you. It was the people who hurt you, I was always trying to help.”

He comes closer and traces with his finger the scar on my right side. The scar starts to burn as if thousands worms are eating the flesh there.

“We will be together. If you accept me, it will be easier and better for everyone. I know what you want to do in south dungeon. Why? I could give you eternal life, endless riches, and loved ones. They would never disappear, betray you or die.”

FUCK YOU! You think your sweet talking and lies will work? You have tempted billions of souls, and think I will follow them too?

“No. You are special. Very special. That’s why I come personally.”

Ha. Think corrupting me with pride will work? We are all nothing but maggots in this shithole. Personally? You are everywhere and nowhere. You whisper your corruption and lie into every ear at every second.

“I do not lie. I never lie and never will. That is the job of the so called ‘saints’. I give people what they want, and never take anything in return. You all have been lied to.”

“But that is not important right now. Soon we will meet. And I will always await you with open arms, remember that. Would they do the same for you?”

“Rest my friend.”

…

Jumping awake, I find that it is still night. Maybe about an hour passed since I fell asleep.

Because the scar did not burn for some time, I though that he found someone else. But I am still the main candidate.

I moved to north and did not overexert my body for this specific reason. With each battle I have less and less time. And since the fight with that cult I have even less.

I can’t die yet.

But this city is too corrupted to leave it as it is. Slavery. And a very high chance of city leaders being part of the Lucifer cult.

The guards should be patrolling slums to find me. They believe that I am hiding. Then I should do the opposite. Attack their headquarter. Right now, when they don’t expect me. They can’t track me. It would be better if I could acquire few bomb or poisons, but it would require me to wait until the next day, which will give them time. And time is something I don’t have at all.

I send mana circulating. The wounds on my right hand and back are not fully healed, but it should not be an issue.

[Do not flatter yourself. You are not cleaning the city. You are just fulfilling your desire for YOUR biased sense of righteousness. Who said that you are right? You are not doing something good. You are the same as ‘him’, or any other dark creature. Never forget that.]

…

Silently jumping from one building to another I reach the rear entrance of the castle. There are several guards standing on each part of the castle. They are prepared for war and intruders, it will not be like in Kamalesh.

The only way in is through the guards. And that would mean killing them.

[Would it be easier if they all would be raping a slave in all her holes right now? Then you would take action? Who said that they didn’t do it?]

Who said they did it? They may have families, loved ones. They have a future. Maybe they are here not because they want it, but because they had to. There is a high probability that they even don’t know what is happening inside.

[Oh, poor them. May, maybe, high chance. Are we guessing or hopping? So, if they had an opportunity they wouldn’t kill us? Of course they would. They are here. Protecting the corrupted leaders and the cult. Nothing changed. We know what is inside.]

[Are you looking for a reason to start the massacre? DO not lie to yourself. We would do it one way or another.]

[Children could be sacrificed at this moment, and you need a proof. Your indecisiveness killed the one in Kamalesh. It will happen again.]

My body moves.

…

Why?

The sunrise tells me that a new day has come, new life will be born today. Many have come and many have left this world yesterday. Everyone is just a part of the cycle.

Why?

The growing pool of blood below me, tells me that I am in critical condition and must focus on healing. I am in slums and finding me here would be hard.

Why?

Healing is the most important objective right now.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

WHY?!

Why am I always right? Why is it always the worst possible case? How can people be so cruel to each other. How can they justify their actions? How can they sleep after that?

Burning hot tears hurt much more than the gaping, empty 5cm hole in diameter on the left side of my chest. I can hardly take a breath as the droplets of blood continue to fall from my not moving lips.

Why?

There were too many guards in the palace, but I evaded most of them and silently killed about a dozen enforcers and mages.

In the end, I entered the basement hall in the worst possible time, they divided slave children into 3 groups. The moment I came in, one group with dead eyes was being violated, another group was being cooked alive as they screamed for help, and the last was dead and being eaten.

The number of children was over hundred. And the number of nobles was about under three hundred.

This time they did not expect me in the basement, they were not prepared. I jumped into the fray not to be cornered like the last time. This time it was not just human nobles, there were many other races, and few skilled adventurers who should have been in the A class.

Nearly no one was in plate mail, and my sword cleaved through them as a hot knife through butter.

I did not think. My body moved on its own. As if I was a bystander.

But I was again too late. Too late.

One of the nobles cast a powerful wide-range curse. It did not hurt me. Not me. But all children died in an instant. All those that were standing fell down as if dolls, they just stopped breathing.

I don’t remember much after.

They are dead.

Why?

They are dead, it doesn’t matter anymore. I killed everyone.

It doesn’t matter. I failed again.

Again.

I am alive, but the innocent are dead. And I couldn’t do anything to save them.

They are dead.

Why?