It was easy for him to open the heavy wooden door leading into the inn. He had to duck down so he wouldn't hit the door frame with his head. Once inside he saw heads turning and a few people started whispering but Zane couldn't understand a word, it was too loud.

He looked around to find an open table and spotted one in a corner. People looked at him as he walked through the crowded inn.

Never seen a tall person?

As soon as Zane sat down he heard someone coming up from behind.

"The usual?"

It was a woman's voice. He turned his head, she wore a worn out and pale dress.

The innkeeper's daughter . . . though he didn't want her working here.

Zane only nodded and the woman quickly left. Calming down was difficult in a place as loud as the inn, especially the table next to him. Three large men sat around it, yelling and drinking.

How can you be so drunk at this time? The sun hasn't even begun to set yet . . .

Zane got continuously more annoyed with them as he waited. The woman returned and put a plate with different kinds of meat, cheese, and vegetables on the table before him followed by a "thud" sound. She had put down a large jug, filled with mead, and a mug. But even now Zane was still eying the other table.

"Do they annoy you sir?" the woman asked.

Zane nodded and was about to stand up but the woman held him back and walked over instead.

"Would you please keep it down a bit? Or maybe change tables? We have an important guest here right now and he is not pleased with how lou-"

Before she could finish she was pushed away by one of them.

"Is that true . . ."

The man turned to Zane.

"So . . . you are that i-important guesht, ey?"

He came closer and his peers had stood up as well. Zane could already smell the alcohol.

Shit do those guys reek.

The man hit the on table with one fist, nearly spilling the mead onto Zane's food. He saw the woman's eyes widen a bit.

"Please, gentlemen! Don't do this."

One walked over to her and picked her up by the neck with one arm.

Guess they aren't all that weak . . .

"What? Tryin to pro . . . protect 'im?"

"No-" she struggled to speak since he was strangling her, "You!"

The one at Zane's table started laughing.

"Protectin us from him?"

A few of the other guests had stood up and backed away. That man stopped for a second and stared at Zane's chest.

"Nice neck . . . necklace you got there . . . 'ow 'bout you give that to us, ey?"

He looked down and saw his necklace, which was the same colour as his eyes. Something flashed into his mind.

"These two crystals are as beautiful as your eyes Z, why don't we buy them and make necklaces?"

"Ah good choice for two bound to each other, you see when these two of these get close to the one they are bound to they emit a faint glow."

"Did you hear that Z, come on please?"

"Fine," Zane said, without realizing it.

The man looked at him in a weird way.

Maybe they'll go when I give them a good scare.

Zane now stood up, hoping they would go away if they saw how small they were, but before he could fully stand up the man punched him straight in the face which made Zane fall over his chair. He looked up at the man that now stood over him.

Looking down on me now.

The woman had started screaming for her father but she was still being strangled. Zane, now angry, stood up. He had to stay slightly ducked or he would hit the ceiling with his head. The laughter quickly disappeared and the inn became silent.

"The Reaper . . ." someone whispered.

Zane had the taste of blood in his mouth which made him chuckle. He spat it out at the man's head but the moment it left his lips it sped up and pierced straight through. The one who held the woman up instantly dropped her and started walking towards him.

"'ow dare you!"

Too drunk to use your brain huh . . .

The small bit of blood quickly pierced that man's head and Zane now turned to the last one. But instead of running away, he charged at Zane while drawing his sword.

What a bother.

The man's head was also pierced by the small bit of blood and fell to the ground.

"Oh, what chaos! Why didn't you warn them Olivia!" a harsh voice said.

The innkeeper, what perfect timing.

"I did . . . they were too drunk to listen . . ."

The innkeeper came over to Zane who stood over the three corpses.

"Why does this happen every time, people just don't learn."

The tiny man put a glass container, like the ones Zane had in his satchel, down on the ground.

"I hate that I already got used to this."

Zane took off one of his gauntlets and put it on the table and then proceeded to slightly unsheath his katana and cut his hand. Blood started to gush out right into the puddle on the ground. Zane stopped the blood from gushing out shortly after and relaxed his body a bit. He felt a large part of himself on the ground and moved it into the container. The other guests that had watched looked at him in disbelieve.

What are they staring at? I thought they knew who I am . . .

The innkeeper had called for two others and together they moved the corpses out back while Zane had moved all the blood from the ground into the container. He picked it up and put it in his satchel, to the other four. Olivia still sat on the floor, tears in her eyes. Zane sat back down and called her over.

"Wh . . . what is it, sir?"

He pointed down to his food.

"Oh, I have forgotten your cutlery, my apologies." Her voice was trembling.

'No need to be so afraid of me is there? Well, she'll get used to it . . .'

She brought him the cutlery and he started eating. He heard a lot of footsteps behind him, the other guests returned to their tables. During the time he ate it was nearly silent in the inn, no one dared speak a word, all of the afraid the reaper would get angry again. But Zane could overhear the conversation of two young women sitting not too far from him.

"I heard he's scary . . . but I didn't expect him to be like this." One of them whispered.

"Shh, don't want him hearing us." The other responded.

"But isn't it crazy, what a few drops of blood can do in the hands of one who gained Aura from the Lord of the Deep?"

"Yeah, those fools from the church are all weak compared to him."

The innkeeper returned and sat down at Zane's table.

"I've got a few requests that might interest you."

Zane shook his head before he could continue.

"Oh, so you aren't interested right now."

Zane nodded and continued eating. By the time he finally heard the door open and heavy footsteps approaching he had already finished both food and drink.

"Ah, Zane, I must apologize for my late arrival." the noble said in his usual pretentious voice.

Zane turned his head. The tall man was dressed in such fine clothing that he stuck out like a sore thumb, his two bodyguards donned masterfully crafted steel armour with the Vermillion family's coat of arms on their chests.

The man sat down at Zane's table his nine orange tails partially placed on the table.

"I have heard that you ran into a bit of trouble . . . but well, you still did the job I gave you so you shall receive the payment you were promised, just no bonus this time." his voice annoyed Zane.

The man snapped and one of his bodyguards came over and dropped a large sack in front of Zane before he leaned down to his master.

"Master Holvin I believe we should take our leave as soon as possible," he said while looking at the other guests who were all staring.

No wonder, what do you think happens when a descendant of the ninetails clan suddenly appears in some inn in the middle of the wilderness. Bunch of idiots.

Zane opened up the sack. It was filled with golden coins, he started counting immediately, all the while being pierced by Holvin's crimson-coloured eyes. It took him a while to count all the coins.

Nine hundred ninety-nine. . . one thousand, good.

"See, Zane, why are you still so cautious around me?"

Because you nearly got me killed a few too many times.

"Ah, I see you still keep silent. But anyways, Zane, I have a very lucrative job for you. One simply too good to pass up."

Zane stood up, completely ignoring Holvin, and threw a gold coin to the innkeeper who had moved behind the bar and put the sack in his satchel.

"Oh, Zane, don't just run away, at least hear me out."

Still ignoring the man Zane walked to the door. Holvin quickly stood up and followed.

"You see, my son, he was about to be married to a woman of our clan called Mira, but she ran away and is now on the run. I want you to find her and bring her back. I would not only pay you twice the public bounty . . . no make that three times the public bounty I will also make you their bodyguard, you would have a high income but also a place to live in luxury."

Zane opened up the door and looked back at Holvin. He had hope in his eyes.

"Not now," Zane said in a serious tone.

He then went outside and closed the door behind him. Already halfway down the stairs, he heard heavy footsteps.

"Wait, please at least take the poster."

It was one of Holvin's bodyguards. Zane looked at it and took it after a short while and more pleading from the man.

"You don't need to actively look for her, just bring her back to us if you find her on your travels."

Zane slowly nodded and continued down the stairs.

Looking for some runaway girl, what does that stupid noble want me to do next. And be their bodyguard. That's not a life I want, or is it? What kind of life do I want anyways?

It had gotten dark and the air was cold.

Should I have maybe stayed in the inn? Ah, no matter now. I have to go to that place or else I won't be able to concentrate.

And so he continued on, walking along the narrow path leading out of the forest. He came across a few camps along the path leading out of the path.

Travellers that can't afford to stay at the inn? Or maybe some of Yggdrasil's monks? Anyways if I wanna get there before the end of tomorrow I should hurry a bit.

And so Zane travelled on, without rest. He reached the edge of the forest and followed the path he had used to get there in the first place until he saw it again, the familiar hills, trees, and the river.

He went down the hill the path was on and walked through a large open plain, surrounded by trees on all sides but too massive to be called a clearing. And in the middle of that plain ran a wide river, at its sight, Zane nearly puked. Gruesome images crawled back into his mind from deep within.

Gotta keep moving.

Zane followed the river through another part of the forest. The sun had already risen by the time he reached its edge and now he could smell the ocean. He was there, at Hirmal's shore. It was a rocky beach area, surrounded by forest, mountains, and the sea.

Zane walked along the edge of the forest until he reached the foot of a mountain, a few meters further was a small hollowed-out area, containing five small monuments. All five had names on them.

Hiba, Larkan, Rey, Mark, and on the biggest, Ivara.

Tears started running down his face before he realized. The necklace around his neck started glowing, illuminating his teary face. He sank to the ground and his mind was overcome with just one thought.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry . . .

He couldn't focus on anything. His mind simply ran rampant. And suddenly all those images he had tried to suppress started crawling out of the abyss he had shoved them into.