• Horus Carmunkle was an extremely happy man. Horus Carmunkle was also a very rich man. He was a very happy, very rich man. He believed thoroughly in the saying, “money is happiness” but he didn’t realize how many enemies money could bring. He didn’t care about the families he tore apart when he tricked their father into a dirty deal. He didn’t realize how many of winning bets angered the losers. He didn’t realize just how many of those losers realized his bets were crooked. Well, he’d know soon enough.

    A cheerful whistle echoed down the alley as Horus Carmunkle strolled down it. Having just left the Old Wolf tavern with a new sack filled with gold and silver pieces he couldn’t believe his luck. Nor could he believe how many times he could fool those old fools into betting on bar fights. Didn’t they realize that he hired those drunken brutes to start a fight? Horus thought it was rather obvious himself, but then again, he was smarter than those common lots. He was a noble after all, worked as an ambassador to the Erdics. Cheerful lot, those demons. Chuckling to himself, Horus continued whistling his little tune.

    That was, until he noticed that his whistling was not the only sound in the night. Someone was laughing but it was not in humor. In fact, the laugh sent shivers down his spine. Stopping in his tracks, he looked frantically around. Was it just him or did the shadows seem longer, darker? The laughing had stopped as soon as he turned and the silence echoed eerily in his ears. Suddenly a woman’s sharp scream filled the air. Horus the happy was suddenly not happy in the least. A warm trickle made its way down his pant leg as he backed up against the wall. Surely someone would have heard that scream and would be there any minute. He’d be safe. In his head, he repeated that over and over again.

    The laughter started again, from directly above him. An unmanly screech filled the air as he scrambled away from the wall. Still he could see nothing but shadows. Then, a hand black as the night itself inched its way from the darkness. A second gloved hand followed it. Horus’s breaths came out in short spurts and he tried to back further against the wall opposite. He watched, frightened to silence as a thin figure, cloaked completely in black, made its way down the wall. It had stopped chuckling and was now watching him with fierce intensity. The figure’s storm cloud gray eyes scanned him down, pausing at the urine stains down his pants.

    "Good evening Horus. I do believe you have something that I want.”

    Horus’s eyes widened in both shock and surprise. The voice, despite the frightening chuckle, was female. Very female and she knew his name. How could this be? Certainly he was well known but he never messed around with women. Those thoughts were quick though and he thrust his newly won bag of gold at her.

    "Here take it! Take whatever you want, just don’t kill me!”

    She laughed again and slinked forward. Her eyes never left his face. About a foot away, she kneeled.

    "Well that’s just a tad conflicting my dear. You see, what I want is…your life.”

    ---
    A scream, this time male, filled the air and was abruptly cut off. Then a cheerful whistling tune filled the air.


    ====================
    Saraya sighed as she looked out of her window. Below, guards were running across the street heading towards the alley. Considering how long ago the first scream was, they sure had taken their time. It was just a glimpse at how incompetent the city’s security was. Though Coian was the largest city in all of Nautyn, they wouldn’t stand a chance against the demon nation of Erdegahr or the angel cities of Mirshan. Though the human’s were a new race, it had been over ten thousand years since they arrived. Surely they would have learned proper defense by now! Sighing again, she walked over to the small desk she kept in her room. Seeing as it was the smallest room in the Old Wolf tavern and inn, there wasn’t much room to put anything bigger. It served its purpose though. On top of the desk lay a small bronze statue of a snake. Running a hand gently on its smooth surface she frowned. It wasn’t something she’d normally steal from a person but it intrigued her.

    The statue was about three inches tall and in the form of a coiled snake. It had an aura about it that hinted at great age although the bronze itself was in pristine condition. Snakes had never been her favorite animal but she would admit that their venom was quite useful. She thought that perhaps that was the reason she had picked it up. Shrugging at her own oddities, she undressed and climbed under the covers of her little cot. Work would call early tomorrow and she wanted her rest. Early morning really was too early for a twenty five year old to get to bed. As soon as her head touched the pillow she was asleep. However it was a light sleep.
    About two hours later, a red light lit up the small room. However, anyone passing by would not see it under the door, nor would it shine out of the clear window. Tracking the source of the light, one would find that it came from the small bronze snake statue on the desk. Saraya, face turned towards the wall did not see the light through her barely open eyes, nor did she wake. She continued to sleep as the light began to pulse and the statue began to grow. Three inches…five inches…a foot…three feet. As the snake grew, it also uncoiled. Then both the light and the growing stopped. The snake, at nearly seven feet lay completely straight across Saraya’s small desk.

    For a moment, nothing more happened. Then, a dense fog began to seep from the figure and spread across the room. It curled around corners and enveloped Saraya completely. Still though, she stayed asleep. It seemed to grow thicker as it wrapped around her until all the fog in the room was concentrated completely around her. It began to pulse, much like the light had before. However, this had a clear pattern and source. It was pulsing at the same beat that Saraya’s heart beat at. With this new pulse, the fog began to retreat back towards the elongated statue before it disappeared. The statue began to light up again, though the light seemed contained within the actual item this time. It pulsed just as the fog had, to Saraya’s heartbeat.

    With a beat now, the statue again began to change. The tail of the snake split, forming arms and legs. Its head formed into that of a man. A mane of bright crimson hair burst out from its skull. Eventually, a man lay where the snake statue once did. His skin was the color of cream and his body nicely toned. A soft groan escape his lips as his eyes fluttered open and he sat up.


    Immediately a sword tip was pressed against his throat and he looked up in alarm. Before him Saraya stood in all her glory. He had to appreciate her lightly muscled physique and soft curves. Her ebony hair was long and thick but was thrown behind her so that only a few strands lay across her chest. There was a fury in her narrowed storm gray eyes that surprised the man more than he would have thought. When she spoke, her voice was cold and it reminded him of his sister’s.

    “Who are you?”

    The man opened his mouth but choked. His throat was dry from disuse and it hurt to try and talk. Saraya understood but only pressed the blade deeper. She wasn’t worried about his pain. He was trespassing on her privacy and if she would admit it, she was angry that she hadn’t heard him come in. He could talk, dry throat or not. The man looked surprised but didn’t try to back up or run, which again surprised her. Every single man she had ever threatened had done either one of two things; laughed at her, or ran. Standing back, she gave him some room, though she continued to hold her blade at ready. Her eyes stayed narrowed and her senses were spread out, just in case this man was a distraction. Then, she waited for his answer.

    It took him a moment to moisten his mouth but eventually he did answer. He looked up at Saraya, his eyes confused and cloudy. Was he drugged? She supposed it was possible, although she doubted it. He cleared his throat and tried to say something, but it came out as a mere squeak, a crack in what might have been a word. A brief look of anger flashed across his face, reminding Saraya not to let down her guard. Shaking his head slightly, he tried again.

    “I am Cahlin.”

    Cahlin, eh. It was an unusual name, especially for these parts. Her eyes narrowed further and stepped forward, placing her blade once more under his chin. Lifting it slightly, she pushed his face upward and he looked at her. Saraya couldn’t help but grin at the defiant look he gave her. At least he wasn’t afraid to die. At the grin though, his eyes changed, only for a second. She couldn’t tell what it had been but his muscles had tightened and his eyes had narrowed. Stepping back once more she let her senses roam about the room, looking for a threat that was not there. Her gray eyes never strayed from the man’s face. Like his name, his features were unusual as well. While red head’s weren’t necessarily uncommon, there was a brilliance to his color that made her think of raw flames. His cheekbones were high and set on a thin face with a strong jaw line. He was thin, but not scrawny, his muscles small but plenty. Other parts of him, she noticed with a chuckle, weren’t so little. As she noticed this, a light blush crossed Cahlin’s cheeks, though he didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. The smallest movements he made; the tilt of his neck, the clenching of his fist, while not threatening put her on her guard. If she had to guess, she’d say he was a fighter…and a demon. Though he was nothing like the demons she knew.

    “Why are you here?”

    Cahlin raised a thin eyebrow and stared at her as if asking if she was serious. She merely stared back waiting for his answer. Seeing that she wasn’t going to let up, Cahlin rolled his eyes mentally. “Perhaps if I knew where ‘here’ was, I could answer that.” ‘But I doubt it.’ Saraya’s face didn’t change but he thought the look in her eyes had become puzzled. She continued to stay silent. What did she want him to say? He seriously didn’t have a clue as to where he was. “I’m in your room?” A flash of irritation flashed across her face and she stepped closer. Cahlin quickly sought to redeem himself.

    “Look, the last thing I remember is Bael Sean storming into the castle, killing my father and then pointing some weird staff at me!”

    Her face was now clearly puzzled. Stepping away from him she lowered her sword. Now he was confused. Had he said something that made her believe he wasn’t a threat? Which brought up a question...was he? Despite the fact that this young woman had threatened him multiple times he felt no need to escape. He wasn’t even angry really. As she continued to stare at him as if he was some sort of fascinating object he felt that beginning to change. What was with this girl?

    Maybe this was some sort of trap, set up by his father or Bael Sean. If that was the case, he was not going to sit here like some sort of lab rat. In a sudden change, Cahlin began to feel trapped. The room was small and almost prison like. A trap seemed very likely suddenly. Well, he wasn’t going to have that. Nobody would imprison him!

    Though he made no outward movement, Saraya could feel this man, Cahlin’s increasing irritation. Then, in the smallest movement his sapphire eyes met hers in a cold glare that strongly reminded her of a serpent preparing to strike. With a gasp she took a step back finding herself suddenly afraid. It was a feeling she had not felt in a long time. She saw his muscles tense as he prepared to spring. His eyes locked on her sword.

    “Don’t move!”

    The words came out in a rush just as he pushed himself off of her floor. At her command however, he did just as she said, falling on his face with a look of shock. Saraya herself was startled. She hadn’t expected him to obey and from the look on his face, neither had he.

    “Stand up.”

    Again, he did as she asked coming to stand in front of her in a single swift movement. There was hatred in his eyes that made her grin. ‘Well, well, this is an interesting development.’

    “What have you done to me wh…”

    “Be quiet.”

    The hatred in his eyes grew as he was forced to silence. Grinning like crazy Saraya turned her back on the strange man and walked over to her small cot. Crossing her legs, she sat, giving the man an amused side long glance. Mentally though she was sighing in relief. She hadn’t been sure if her commands would keep. Normally turning her back on an enemy would have meant death. Why was it that this Cahlin fellow was forced to do as she commanded?

    Cahlin himself was pondering the same question.