A Light in the Darkness Book: The Moonlight Murderer

Prologue: The Web of Fate

Note: this story has been a bit of pet project for awhile and is mostly in the editing stage. Therefore updates should be fairly frequent if there's interest. Feedback welcome as I'm looking to improve.

The sun beat strong in the sky as Trent walked the dusty streets of Ash Town where he was currently residing. Every step ached after a long day traversing the dunes. The Northern desert lands had always been treacherous, and his most recent bounty had been a notorious pickpocket who had cleverly eluded local justice for several months. Numerous attempts had been made to catch the thief all of which had failed. Trent had finally tracked him to an abandoned mine to the west. It had been dark, but he always had the means to light his way. He allowed himself a smile as he flicked some flames across his fingertips.

The money he'd earned from bringing in the crook would be enough to keep him at the backwater inn he'd rented for at least another week. He may even be able to afford some drinks, meet a charming lady and see were the evening took them. He laughed at the very thought, which may have made him look like a mad man to a passing family. He didn't care. He could have made a decent stable living working on a steam engine, but this life was more fulfilling. As he approached the door to Sunset Hotel, he pulled a rag from his gray duster and wiped the sweat off his face. Best to look decent in case there were women hanging around the bar.

He stepped inside, shaking the caked sand off his boots. The walls inside the inn seemed to be peeling and there was an inexplicable stench, but the beds were comfortable enough and the bar was cheap. He stopped by the front desk and downed some coin for his continued stay and made straight for the bar. On his way, Trent passed by a faded body length mirror. He took a moment to examine himself. Removing his broad rimmed hat, his reflection looked like death warmed over.

His green eyes were faded and had dark circles underneath. His hair was a mess, and though the black hadn't given way to grey yet; he wasn't getting any younger. Thanks to his abilities he could probably keep this lifestyle up for the time being, at least if it weren't for the constant traveling. Taking the train only reminded of his cousin's constant offer to work the rails. The thought of spending all day pumping flames into an engine disgusted him. Still had to use the train more than he cared, since he didn't want to bother caring for a horse. Lifting his chin, it was sure he needed a shave, but he probably wasn't going anywhere. It would the bar for a meal and some drinks. He straightened out his jacket so no one would notice the various blades hidden underneath.

Smoothing up his posture one last time, Trent stepped through the door into the sparsely populated canteen. The room had red wooden floors and a dark brick wall. There were a few circular tables scattered about and a polished bar at the room's north end with various liquors shelved behind. There was some Alluvial Ale, good Northern Brandy and it wouldn't be a desert town without blue drink. Around the room were a few desert men, some pale northerners like himself, and a couple grey skinned Fen scattered about. Not many ladies and none really looked his type. An elderly fen gentleman was casually hammering away on an old piano to the side.

Trent stepped toward the bar and pulled up a stool. He ordered a sandwich and a drink from the overweight bartender and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the chatter from the other patterns and the off-key music. Several minutes later, his order arrived, and he began to greedily consume it, after handing the man a few coins. Once finished, he fumbled through his pocket for a cigar.

He placed it to his lips and pressed his thumb to the tip, setting it alit. Ignoring the muttering from the other patrons, he took a long drag. The bartender shot him a dirty glance, but he tossed the man another coin and he looked the other way. As Trent contemplated whether he desired another beverage, he heard amused chuckles coming from the stool next to him.

"It's been a long time since I've seen someone with your gifts."

Annoyed at having his quiet evening interrupted, he turned to face the interloper. It was the older gentleman who'd been on the piano. He got a good look at the old-timer. He was a smartly dressed Fen with a faded black suit, a loose-fitting white button-down shirt with dark suspenders and a bolo tie with a small ruby fastened at his neck. His hair was a lighter grey shade than his skin and it covered his pointed ears almost completely. His face was somewhat wrinkled with smile lines around the eyes and a lopsided beard around his chin.

"Does it make you wax nostalgic, old-timer?" The bounty hunter said in a disgruntled tone. "I still get mothers wanting me to bless their children and requests to perform marriages all because I can do this." He spread his palm out and produced a small flame. The elder's golden eyes appraised him. The bartender was unamused and snapped at him to put it out or be thrown out. He complied which caused the old man to laugh harder.

"I suppose it does. I could always pay for some drinks, if it'd make you feel any better," the Fen offered with a grin.

"I don't want charity and I'm not really one for conversation either. You might want to look elsewhere for someone to indulge your nostalgia trip, old man."

"You misunderstand me. I know what you do, and I was hoping to hire you for a little job," the old man replied as he raised his hand, signaling the bartender for two drinks. Trent tried to protest but his newfound companion wouldn't hear of it.

"Look, I don't do weddings, or birthday parties and if it's an assassination, you can forget it," he said with an indifferent tone.

"No, no, that's not it at all!" the old man enthusiastically waved his gnarled blackwood cane in Trent's face, causing the bounty hunter to flinch.

"I had some business up in Aldus and I could use the assistance of someone with your talents," he said. Their drinks arrived, mugs of cold dark, frothy ale. It was worth some time and whatever the old Fen had in store. It'd been years since he'd been up north in the Empire and longer still since he'd been in the capital.

"I don't usually do bodyguard work," he stated, taking a swig from his mug.

"Oh, I can defend myself quite well, but I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks." The elder Fen smiled, his eyes narrowing to nearly closed.

"I'm sure you could," Trent laughed, savoring his drink. The elder opened his eyes and gave him a serious glance. This caused him to lower his mug and face his companion again.

"So, what exactly is the nature of this work you want me to do?"

"Oh, it shouldn't be all too difficult or dangerous and you'll be well paid, I assure you. However, for you to understand what it is I need you to do, you'll have to indulge an old man's nostalgia for a bit longer." The Fen finished off his own drink and signaled for another round.

"What do you want me to juggle around some fireballs? I prefer no to be booted from this establishment since I already paid for another week in advance."

His companion just laughed again. "No, it won't be anything like that. I was hoping to tell you a story to help provide a little context for what I need. It could take awhile though."

The bounty hunter thought about this for a moment. Fen lived for a long time, though he wasn't exactly sure how long. This old fellow had probably seen more in his life than several generations of humans put together. He was admittedly intrigued at what story his companion had and how it involved the potential employment. Plus, he wasn't really going anywhere for the evening. Best to let the old man do as he pleased, and maybe get a few more drinks out from it.

"What exactly does this yarn of yours entail?"

The old timer's face lit up. "I'm sure it's a story you've heard before, though not the way I tell. It starts out with four seemly unconnected individuals: an overly stressed out empress, a boy who spent too much time stacking books and sitting beneath a lantern post, a charming albeit misguided thief with a chip on his shoulder; and a hot-headed jester in over his head. Though they didn't know it at the time, their fates would eventually be intertwined and lives they touched would eventually touch others, which would bring great change to the world, ushering in a new age. It gets a bit long and complicated at times, so you'll have to bear with me. Apologies in advance if there's a bit of confusion, this all happened just over four hundred years ago, and my memory can be dodgy at times."

Trent nodded indulgently. "Very well, why don't you start at the beginning?"