TBD

Prologue

"Mykira!" Morgan was a couple yard-lengths ahead. Her dark brown hair went crazy in the wind as she glanced back at me over her shoulder. "Pick up the pace!"

I gathered what little strength that I had left, my leather-strap sandals pounding against the cobblestone road, propelling myself forward. The footsteps of our pursuers were drowned out by the sound of blood pumping through my veins. I watched as Morgan rounded the corner of an alleyway up ahead, and I quickly followed suite. 

Morgan checked me over like a bitch with her injured pup, oblivious as I saw the band of bandits sprint by on the road we had just left.

"Are they gone?" she whispered, studying my expression after I turned back around. 

"Yeah." I stared her down long and hard until her shoulders slumped and she gave me a sheepish smile. "Why were we chased by bandits in the first place?" I asked incredulously, my tail lashing angrily. 

Morgan reached for a satchel attached to her backpack, then dangled it out in front of me. We both knelt down as she spilled the contents, my jaw dropping. She waited patiently as I examined every item closely. There was a small gold bracelet, a small mirror set in a blue-painted wooden frame, a cloth-of-gold hooded cloak, a gold locket with a portrait of a female elf inside, a pair of engraved bone dice, a copper chalice with silver filigree, a leather jacket, and two black velvet masks, each stitched with silver thread.

I looked back up at Morgan. "This is at least two-hundred gold pieces sitting in front of us!" I exclaimed. Morgan tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, revealing a gold stud earring, and shrugged.

"I dunno," she murmured, piling the items back into the satchel with the exception of the leather jacket. "I want to see if anything might be of use to us before we sell them."

Morgan stood back up, holding the leather jacket out to me. "Try it on," she simpered.

I shook my head, pushing myself to my feet, using my tail to balance myself. "I'm not one for leather."

She shrugged and dropped her bag, donning herself with the jacket. "Leather doesn't suit Tieflings anyways." Snatching her backpack, she pushed past me and went back onto the road.

My tail dropped to the ground with a thud at her insult. Morgan is human, but so am I, to a certain extent. The only difference is that Asmodeus' essence is infused into my blood. I have a long, four-foot tail, spiraled red horns jutting from my temples, and long, sharp canine teeth. I also have molten gold irises with no pupils. But, other than those select traits, I am completely human. I let out a curse from under my breath, then started off towards the road.

A low, menacing snarl from behind me halted me in my tracks. Bracing myself, I turned to face two wolves' beady eyes glowering at me. Knowing Morgan, she was probably quite far away by now, so screaming for her wouldn't help.

The smaller grey wolf sprinted at me and lunged. His jaws snapped, just barely missing my thigh. I quickly stepped back to the right, almost right up against the buildings in the alleyway. I closed my eyes, recalling my sorcery classes. My eyes flew open, glaring at the wolves, my hands starting to burn as I outstretched them towards the wolves.

"Shall flesh be turned to ash!" Flames ignited from my fingertips and spiraled towards the wolves. The black wolf's shoulder fur seared off, while the smaller grey one got hit harder, the whole left side of his face charred. The air surrounding me started to carry a lingering scent of burnt flesh.

The black wolf stared me down with his amber eyes, then charged at me. His shoulder wound burdened him, and he let out a low whine, halting due to the pain. The grey one prowled up to me and tried for my ankle. His injury also slowed him down, and a deft kick to his snout made him howl with rage.

Sensing their forecoming defeat, I decided to finish them off. I held a palm up, fire dancing in my hand. I curled my fingers around it ever so slightly and welcomed the heat with a smile. A swift motion of my arm sent it flying at the grey wolf. I watched in horror as it missed and exploded on the asphalt at the end of the alley. Victory for me was seemingly less probable now.

The black wold whined and snapped at me again, but I dodged it with a spin. Mid-twirl, I saw a white, black-spotted tabaxi, donned in chain-mail, jog up next to me.

"Why is it taking you so long?" the tabaxi laughed, his whiskers twitching. There was a flash of silver and his rapier came down, ripping the grey wolf's side open, blood spattering onto the asphalt.

The wolf turned on him, tried to lunge, but missed completely, his sides heaving. I turned to the black wolf while the grey one was being distracted by the tabaxi. I tried my fire bolt again, flames manifesting inside my curled fingers.

"Shall flesh go up in flames!" I exclaimed, hurling the mote of fire at the wolf. It exploded in his face, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. He staggered towards me, attempted to bite me, but slumped to the ground instead. The grey wolf's life was taken when the tabaxi swung his rapier down onto his neck, decapitated. I unsheathed a dagger from my belt, then crouched over the still-snarling black wolf. "May you walk with your pack in the afterlife," I whispered, then plunged my dagger deep into his chest. Blood welled up around the blade, soaking his fur with its sticky substance. I smoothly pulled the dagger out, blood spurting out out of the stab wound in waves now. My body slumped against the brick wall, my dagger shaking in my trembling hands.

The tabaxi peered at me, concern glittering in his catlike blue eyes. He put his rapier back on the strap that was slung over his shoulder, then cautiously took my dagger from my grasp, took out a piece of cloth from his belt-pouch, and wiped my blade in silence until it gleamed. I noticed an insignia of a cat emblazoned on the fabric of his silk cloak that draped over his armor, but I couldn't recall the name of the deity it belonged to.

He startled me out of my thoughts when he thrust the dagger towards me, motioning for me to take it back. "Um, thanks...?" I trailed off, not knowing his name, and sheathed my dagger.

"Ah, yes," he murmured, turning to face me and knelt before me. "I am Flesh-Tearing Tooth, healer of the Vagnorarch Army." He pushed himself back up onto his feet and flashed me a warm smile, revealing sharp canines. "You can just call me Tooth."

I let out an uneasy laugh. "Thanks for your help, but I must get going now." I turned to leave, but Tooth blocked my way. 

"It is getting late. If you would accompany me to the Haunting Hills Tavern, we could get you settled in for the night." His tail swished in excitement, and interrupted when I opened my mouth to speak, "Besides, I have never seen one of your kind before."

I sighed, dropping my tail to the ground. "Fine. I will leave at dawn at the latest."

Tooth let out an obnoxious purr and nodded. "This way!" He walked out of the alley. I gave the dead wolves one last glance before sprinting to catch up with Tooth.