Mask

Chapter 1

The wind whistled through the air. A strong gust buffeted Captain Anden Stark such that he almost lost his footing. Almost. Well that would have hurt. He was balancing on a sloping rooftop sixty feet above the ground. Anden's cloak swirled around him as the wind picked up. Dammit. He crouched to avoid being noticed and kept moving. He jumped from the edge of the building and landed with a roll on the next one. CRACK! The tile beneath his foot gave way and Anden fell, sliding down the side of the roof . "Bloody fucking hell" Anden cursed in a whisper as he grabbed hold of the roofs edge with his right hand. His burned hand. Shit. Anden looked down. The snow carpeted the cobbles below ,maybe?...no, The snows would not be anywhere near thick enough to break his fall. A carriage passed underneath him, wheels squealing as it turned in the way of the Rose district. Probably some noble turd in dire need of a cunt to fuck, hmph, those girls better fuck his purse empty. Do them some good. His burned fingers are stiff from the cold. Anden breaks a cold sweat as he slowly loses his grip on the ledge. The jangle of mail fills the empty night air. Anden holds his breath as a pair of the City Watch walk underneath, shouting racuosly and swaying as though they were deep in their cups.
"Can you believe that bloody bastard! Now, I should be commander. Id do a better fucking job of it,at least.", one stated loudly. The other bellowed an agreement. The way men talk of their superiors when they think they're alone. Anden chuckled inwardly at the thought of the two repeating themselves to Watch Commander Disten. His burned fingers slid further; jarringly twisting his attention back to his predicament, his grip loosening. Shit. Pain ate away at his arm as he struggled to keep his grip. Anden pulled. Forcing himself up, his biceps screamed bloody murder, he lifted himself high enough to grab the ledge with his left hand. " Ughmpf", using both hands, he vaulted back onto the rooftop in one smooth motion . Still not dead. Anden flexed the fingers of his right hand and thanked the gods.

He exhaled strongly,his breath misting. Moonlight danced in the miniature cloud as it dissipated. The city was quiet. At least this part of the city. The Eaglewing District. The part of the city where only those with the bluest of blood lived. No matter how rich a merchant might be; a home in the Eaglewing District was denied to him unless he happened to be one of the higher nobility of Olenshirr. In the daytime, the streets are patronized by the finest of carriages which are in turn patronized by lords and ladies in the most costly of garments. Very little commerce took place in the Eaglewing District but the place itself was a receptacle of power. The Chancellor of the Institution lived in the district, The Grand Magister also, and the Duke's manse was located in the Eaglewing District. The Duke's manse. Anden sighed, that's where I'm headed.

Anden pulls up his hood and reaches into his cloak for his mask. A smooth plain black mask bearing the insignia of the Institution. A mask that struck fear into even the most powerful of men. He had always hated the bloody thing, the visor limited his eyesight. Sure, it was a slight limitation that would never be noticed by an ordinary man but in his line of work; it could spell death or even worse: capture.

I'm running late, the Chancellor will not be happy if Ithe objective is not complete soon . Anden took a deep breath and moved. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Flitting from shadow to shadow. Through alleys and through homes. He did it all in such that not a single soul laid eyes on him, apart from those that mistook him for a shadow.