It hadn’t exactly been a profitable few weeks for her, her last

job was a bust and she’d really only been pinching what she

could to survive, mostly food, herbologagical or whatever

you call them items to concoct her makeshift bombs and

gases.

She’d been offered a few jobs here and there, intimidation,

kidnap, espionage but nothing had really caught her

attention, sure she was poor, hungry and wet but a thief has

to keep her standards high otherwise who knows what sort

of demeaning jobs she could take on. It might not be an

honest living, and she might not be living well but she had to

keep her wits about her, her stomach rumbled.

That was enough of that sanctimonious tripe! She was cold,

wet and hungry and she needed to work.

The Seven Willows Tavern was as good as spot as any to find

some work, she picked out her spot and waited, eyeing up

the clientele, some familiar faces, some unknown most likely

out of town merchants, the younger faces, those of students

in the nearby Monastery and College. White Cliff wasn’t

exactly a thriving metropolis or some swanky destination for

big city aristocrats, it was a big town for big brains but there

was always work for her sort in any town or city.

The hours passed and the mug of spiced tea she’d nursed for

the last two were empty and any minute the maid who’d

served her would catch on that she’d been sipping an empty

cup for the last while. She’d drifted off into her imagination,

staring past the crowd of drunks and loudmouths when her

eyes were drawn to the hooded man who’d just stepped into

the tavern. Judging by his posture he was old, of course the

fact he’d pulled his hood back and revealed himself to a man

of about sixty years at least was also an indication.

He didn’t look around or wait for a maid to escort him; he

turned in her direction and made straight for her table.

‘I have a job for you, young lady.’

‘If you’re looking for those services I’m afraid you’ve called to

the wrong girl, I’m for hire but I work on my feet not my

back, old man.’, Tezuka let the words hiss off her tongue, she

was testing him, to see if he’d be embarrassed and push off.

‘No, I need you to find something for me or rather for you.

Tomorrow night, someone will take something belonged to

me and something you need to have. Make your way to the

eastern wall of the monastery, you’ll find what you’re looking

for there’, the old man smiled, stood up and reached into his

pocket, he slipped some coins on the table, ‘Please buy

yourself something to eat, Tezuka.’

He turned and began to leave, ‘Oh before I forget, you’ll need

this’, he pulled a piece cord free from his neck, he threw it

towards the table, a small key bounced and rattled before

coming to a stop in front of her. Tezuka picked it up and

looked back into the crowd to find the old man had vanished.

Dinner, the keys to her latest job, a strange old man and

cryptic messages, now this one had her attention.

He took a deep breath, tightened his knuckles, exhaled and

then wrapped lightly on the oak door in front of him, he

waited for answer and just as he was about to walk away he

heard the sound of something crashing behind the door. He

turned the handle and pushed, the door offering up some

resistance, the sound of papers sliding uncomfortably hissed

under his feet. Stacks of books climbed to the ceilings, there

were dozens, one of which was acting as a barricade for the

door, in the middle of the room, and the old professor was

slumped over a toppled tower of manuscripts.

‘Excuse me, good morning, Professor, I’m back again today’,

it had been almost a month since he’d undertaken studies

with the Professor, so far his jobs included, fetching food,

lifting books and staying out of sight, the life of a scholar. In

that time he’d barely had a conversation with Artafas, a few

grunts, some nods and once he almost made out the word

please. Today though, the old man seemed agitated, more

flustered and deeper in concentration than Lee had ever

seen him.

‘Forgive me, but is everything alright?’ Lee reached out,

twisting his footsteps between the fallen books scattered

about the floor, he stepped around his mentor, and he was

horrified at what stood before him.

The old man, his skin was deathly white, etched into his flesh

were black symbols that coiled around his forearms, running

up his sleeves, twisting around his neck and spreading out

across his body, as if he was a giant open book. His eyes, they

were pure white, his mouth was moving but no sounds were

coming out. He hesitated for a moment, his hand shook but

he needed to help, he took the old man by the hand and in

that moment he felt as if his entire was on fire, his heart

stopped, the air rushed from his body, the pain was

excruciated, he tried to scream but couldn’t, he could only

watch, terrified as the black symbols began to curl around his

fingers, contorting up along his arm and as they drew closer

to his eyes, he felt as if his body was going to give way and

fall apart.

The old man snapped out of his trance, his face was one of

admiration, hidden behind it all was exhaustion, he slipped

his hand free from Lee’s and touched his thumb against the

boys forehead, then he opened his hand and slapped his

protégé across the face.

Lee jumped, his face was warm and stung, and he stared

down at Artafas who was smiling back at him:

‘What… what just happened?’ his voice trembled, there was

no point in trying hide it, he was terrified, shocked and angry.

‘I found you and you found me, there is…’ Artafas clutched

his chest, he coughed into his sleeve, and spatters of blood

dappled the old garment. ‘There is not much time, my boy,

take the book and the small chest from my desk, and wait

outside the eastern wall of the temple tonight, she is coming

and you must help her find the others.’

‘Wait, what’s going on?’

Artafas, reached up once more, he pressed his thumb to his

pupil’s forehead, and ‘I’ll show you’.

Suddenly the small study was enveloped in light, shadows

and spirals of darkness erupted into clumsy images at first,

nearly impossible to make out, at one side of the room five

forms were shaped in the clouds, there was something

familiar about each of them, something ancient.

‘You are one of these, I am one of these, we share the same

destiny, Lee, you are a part of me, a part of the five and I am

part of you. I am too old to fight now, too old to do anything

but keep the story alive. A darkness is coming’, with those

words a sixth figure, larger than the others burst out of the

shadows, it gave off a sense of cruelty, malevolence,

callousness, it was cold, it was dark, it was evil. ‘The Darkness

seeks only death and destruction, it’s army is growing with

every passing breath, and only you and the other four have

the ability to stop it as we did so long ago. You and the girl

must find the others and stop this before the world is lost. My

time is over now, I must go, the East Wall Lee, find her, save

her, protect them as I should have.’

The shadow figure grew even larger, engulfing the five beings

before it, it turned and faced Lee, a face, a terrifying face

snarled in the darkness, its eyes pouring over the young man,

light filled the room once more and the images were burnt

away. Artafas was gone. Lee stood in the room alone, his skin

crawling, his stomach sick, his mind racing, trying to piece

together everything that had just happened to him.

He turned to the desk, there was nothing on it but a thick

heavy book and a long plain chest, his fingers traced along

the old leather spine of the book until he found the corner

and he turned the cover over, it was blank, every page, the

whole thing was blank. The chest was heavy, he rattled it,

there was something metal inside, it was locked but there

was no key for it. He turned and stared out the window, the

sun was setting, and he turned back to the old desk, picked

up the empty book and awkward chest and made his way out

of the room.

What was he doing? He asked himself that question over and

over again but he couldn’t find an answer, he didn’t stop

though. He kept walking, toward the East Wall.

She saw him, he was rattling about in the burnt orange night,

and it wasn’t exactly hard to miss him. The sun had almost

sat and the sky was growing darker with each second. She

watched him, a man of average height, young, sandy blonde

hair; his robes were simple except for an ornate sash draped

over and under his shoulders. His hood was up but she could

make out his face, he was handsome, clean shaven, his eyes

were a deep blue, he was definitely handsome, definitely

smart to be studying here and if was studying in the College

he had to be rich... the last part was the only thing that really

attracted her to him.

He stopped moving, under his right arm awkwardly tucked

away was a chest, long but not deep enough to be carrying

his fortune, in his left hand he held a large thick book.

This guy wasn’t a thief or at least not a very skilled one, it

wouldn’t take long to take him out and grab the chest.

He turned away from her and she darted out from the thick

of trees she’d been using as cover, she leapt up into the air

and as she drew closer to the ground she used the motion to

slip into a slide, she reached out grabbed the chest and

pulled, she’d caught him completely off guard.

He hit the ground and the chest pulled free with her grip, the

book fell forward, she eyed it quickly, blank but it was old,

she could probably pawn it for a few silver pieces, she

grabbed it too and clambered to her feet until she felt a hand

reach out and grab her ankle, she fell forward, the chest and

book spilling out of her hands.

‘What are you doing?’ his voice was deeper than expected

but his question was shrieked at her, he obviously wasn’t

used to fighting or being beaten up.

Tezuka turned and backed slowly towards her stolen goods, ‘I

was told to collect something you’d taken, no harm kid but

this girl has to eat’. Suddenly the air grew cold, the sky had

turned black as if it was the middle of the night, her skin

crawled, her victim stood frozen, his expression was of fear,

and he managed to lift his trembling hand and point behind

her.

A tremendous cloud had begun to form behind her, it was at

least double her height and nearly that in width too, the air

was filled with a rotting smell, from the mass a figure

emerge, it looked like a man of sorts, in shape at least. Its

skin was a rotting purple gray, it clung and dripped from

exposed bone in places, mangled and ooze soaked cloth was

draped between black armour that by its weight alone should

have caused this creature to collapse in on it. Its jaw hung

loose from its face, the rest of its face was covered in a

helmet, with sharp pointed features, and it was bolted to its

head.

It’s mouth moved, bile and thick slime gargled up its throat

and trickled between the rotting gums and gray tongue,

dribbling out and onto itself, ‘ I am the darkness, Chaonis, the

first servant and you will die’.

From its side the monstrosity drew a jagged blade, nearly

twice its arm length; Tezuka tumbled backwards, bumping

into her mark.

‘Kid I suggest you run, this... whatever this is it’s nothing

something you can handle... kid?’ She turned her head, the

man she’d tried to rob was glowing, his eyes burnt bright, his

skin was throbbing, black marks, like words on a page were

forming on his hands.

The creature in front of her let out a pain filled scream, as the

huge book she’d held only moments ago flew towards her,

stopping as the man raised his head and shift his hands

upwards and out.

His body trembled; she could feel the heat burning from his

skin... ‘Kid...’ her voice croaked...

‘I am Lee, I am the Silent Judge, you are a mere grain of sand

in a desert, Chaonis, I have seen your sins and you will be

judged.’ a voiced boomed from within the man, not the same

voice she’d heard him squeak with earlier.

The book burst open, the page ripped themselves free and

rushed about her and the man who called himself Lee, the

creature known as Chaonis threw itself forward, she

panicked and cowered, throwing herself to the ground.