Elizabeth Rose

Chapter 1. Shadow Walker

The night air in the small town of Folmen was thick with tension, as a group of shadowy figures moved silently through the streets. These were the Shadow Walkers, an independent group of highly-skilled assassins known for their unparalleled stealth and precision. Their target was the heavily guarded mansion of the local lord - a man whose power and influence extended far beyond the town's borders.

As they approached the mansion, the senior member of the group turned to Rose, a young and talented member of their ranks. "Rose, you're up," he said, giving her a knowing nod.

Without hesitation, Rose sprang into action, darting towards one of the guards stationed at the entrance to the mansion. With a swift and deadly stroke from above, she put him down silently.

The rest of the Shadow Walkers emerged from the shadows, surrounding the local lord in his study room before he could even raise an alarm. His eyes widened in terror as he realized the gravity of the situation, but it was too late. With a cold and calculated precision, one of the assassins drove a blade into his heart, snuffing out his life in an instant.

The Shadow Walker group stood in awe at Rose's quick and precise movements, but their admiration quickly turned to shock as a group of humans with their fancy clothes  revealed themselves. Rose's expression turned to one of disbelief as she watched the chest of gold being delivered to the group by the human.

"Well done, Shadow Walker. With the fall of the local lord we can take over Folmen a lot easier, here's your golds" said one of the men.

"What is this!? Senior Adam? Why are you accepting gold from the Crimson Legion?" Rose asked, her tone incredulous. "I thought we were helping the beast-kin take control of this town."The human that just came is no doubt a high official from the most aggressive human kingdom, the Crimson Legion.

Adam, one of the senior members of the Shadow Walkers, responded with a cold and calculated voice. "The Shadow Walkers will do whatever it takes to survive, Rose. We are adapting to the changing times, and there's nothing wrong with joining the winning side."

Rose's face twisted in anger at the thought of betraying their code. "Joining the enemy? That's not what the Shadow Walkers stand for!"

But before she could protest any further, the Crimson Legion officials labeled her as a threat and gave the order to attack. The other members of the Shadow Walker group, including Adam, bombarded her with magic and throwing knives until a large blast sent her flying out of the window and into the dark waters of the Stygian River, a large river that flows through Folmen.

As they assumed she had perished in the fall, a local fisherman found her unconscious body and pulled her into his boat. Rose slowly regained consciousness, still reeling from the shock of her betrayal and narrow escape.

Rose's head was throbbing as she slowly regained consciousness, "Ugh... my head. Where am I?" she muttered, trying to focus her vision.

"You're in my mighty boat. This one is called Elizabeth's Wrath. I heard the previous owners named it to remind him of his wife's anger, so that he can come home in time," said the old human fisherman, breaking the silence.

"Thank you, sir, for saving my life. How can I repay you?" Rose asked, feeling grateful but cautious.

"There is something you can help me with, but I don't know if you're skilled enough. Considering that you're the first member of Shadow Walker that I found floating on the Stygian River," replied the fisherman, putting away his fishing tools.

Rose was taken aback. "How did you know?" she asked, on guard.

"In my younger days, I fought against the Temple. They controlled the rulers to wage war and exile every other race but humans. I was one of the people who were against it, but the Temple with their ancient magic is too powerful, and you can see the results. Then they waged another war. I saw their plans, which include hiring other races as their loyal servants. One of them is people with uniforms like you," explained the fisherman.