Saiko was hungry; it had been several days since she last had a proper meal. The hunger pains had become unfortunately familiar since her village had been taken by sickness, so she ignored it as usual. At least, as much as she could ignore the gnawing as her gut did its best to undermine her..
Alleviating that hunger was why the young girl found herself in the town of Hargeon. It seemed a murderer had infested its lower docks, and the town was desperate for help. Even if that help came in the form of a youth carrying a doll, quietly strolling down deserted streets as its citizens took shelter in their homes.
“He is hiding in the old warehouses,” whispered a voice in her ear. A spirit who, judging by the meat hook piercing from their back through their chest, was one of the murderer’s victims. A victim who could not rest until the killer was dealt with. With a nod of thanks to the spirit, Saiko made her way to the old, rusted warehouses she had seen as she entered Hargeon Town.
The warehouses themselves were nothing special, on the small side and smelling of fish. Clearly unused since the attack on the town. Rats scurried about, eating whatever scraps they could find. Or, luckily for Saiko, each other. Behind one of the warehouses she found the half eaten body of a rat. Raising her hand above the corpse she reached out to her surroundings, tugging on the shadows. They swirled slowly around the rat, engulfing it in blackness. Then the shadows twitched, and from them the rat emerged.
It was clearly not alive, as the half eaten parts remained gone. But its head had been left untouched, and that was enough for the mage’s purpose. With a silent command from Saiko the rat sprang into action, its nose moving constantly as it moved. And soon enough it stopped outside one of the warehouses.
Giving the rat a gentle pat on the head, she let the magic leave its body and return it to death. Then she moved carefully to the door, opening it as quietly as she could. Stepping inside, she knew she had the right place. Multiple bodies hung inside the warehouse, some missing limbs, some flayed, all of them displayed like fresh meat at a butcher’s shop. More spirits like she had encountered earlier floated in the air, many of them too traumatized by the experience to do anything but wail. It was a familiar sound, and so easily blocked out.
As she moved further inside, she finally spotted him bent over a table with cleaver in hand. The killer. Despite her attempts to be quiet, Saiko had not gone unnoticed. Perhaps he had heard her stomach, but whatever gave her away he turned and stretched to his full height, towering over the small mage.
“Ah, a delivery,” he said with a gleeful smile. Then he charged forward, raising his arm with the obvious intention of cutting her down. Taking a half step back, Saiko pointed her palm at the man, a ball of darkness shooting forth and colliding with his chest. Immediately the man stumbled, his face turned pale as the spell sapped his strength. Even the cleaver suddenly seemed too heavy for him to lift.
Saiko was not done, as the man continued to make his way toward her. This time she pointed up and quietly said “rise,” which caused a knight to appear next to her. A strange knight, wearing armor that did not match any modern nation and who was partially transparent. Bringing her arm down in a chop, she sent the spectral knight charging forward. Its two-handed sword came down in a mighty slash, which the killer attempted to block. It was to no avail as the sword cut through the cleaver effortlessly, continuing and ultimately bisecting the man. Two bloody halves of the killer fell to the ground wetly, and its job done the knight quickly faded back to nothingness.
Satisfied that the job was complete, Saiko left the warehouse behind. Soon, she thought happily, her stomach would finally be satisfied.
Word Count 692/500
Alleviating that hunger was why the young girl found herself in the town of Hargeon. It seemed a murderer had infested its lower docks, and the town was desperate for help. Even if that help came in the form of a youth carrying a doll, quietly strolling down deserted streets as its citizens took shelter in their homes.
“He is hiding in the old warehouses,” whispered a voice in her ear. A spirit who, judging by the meat hook piercing from their back through their chest, was one of the murderer’s victims. A victim who could not rest until the killer was dealt with. With a nod of thanks to the spirit, Saiko made her way to the old, rusted warehouses she had seen as she entered Hargeon Town.
The warehouses themselves were nothing special, on the small side and smelling of fish. Clearly unused since the attack on the town. Rats scurried about, eating whatever scraps they could find. Or, luckily for Saiko, each other. Behind one of the warehouses she found the half eaten body of a rat. Raising her hand above the corpse she reached out to her surroundings, tugging on the shadows. They swirled slowly around the rat, engulfing it in blackness. Then the shadows twitched, and from them the rat emerged.
It was clearly not alive, as the half eaten parts remained gone. But its head had been left untouched, and that was enough for the mage’s purpose. With a silent command from Saiko the rat sprang into action, its nose moving constantly as it moved. And soon enough it stopped outside one of the warehouses.
Giving the rat a gentle pat on the head, she let the magic leave its body and return it to death. Then she moved carefully to the door, opening it as quietly as she could. Stepping inside, she knew she had the right place. Multiple bodies hung inside the warehouse, some missing limbs, some flayed, all of them displayed like fresh meat at a butcher’s shop. More spirits like she had encountered earlier floated in the air, many of them too traumatized by the experience to do anything but wail. It was a familiar sound, and so easily blocked out.
As she moved further inside, she finally spotted him bent over a table with cleaver in hand. The killer. Despite her attempts to be quiet, Saiko had not gone unnoticed. Perhaps he had heard her stomach, but whatever gave her away he turned and stretched to his full height, towering over the small mage.
“Ah, a delivery,” he said with a gleeful smile. Then he charged forward, raising his arm with the obvious intention of cutting her down. Taking a half step back, Saiko pointed her palm at the man, a ball of darkness shooting forth and colliding with his chest. Immediately the man stumbled, his face turned pale as the spell sapped his strength. Even the cleaver suddenly seemed too heavy for him to lift.
Saiko was not done, as the man continued to make his way toward her. This time she pointed up and quietly said “rise,” which caused a knight to appear next to her. A strange knight, wearing armor that did not match any modern nation and who was partially transparent. Bringing her arm down in a chop, she sent the spectral knight charging forward. Its two-handed sword came down in a mighty slash, which the killer attempted to block. It was to no avail as the sword cut through the cleaver effortlessly, continuing and ultimately bisecting the man. Two bloody halves of the killer fell to the ground wetly, and its job done the knight quickly faded back to nothingness.
Satisfied that the job was complete, Saiko left the warehouse behind. Soon, she thought happily, her stomach would finally be satisfied.
Word Count 692/500
