Chapter 4: Pact and Prelude

The sounds of the flowing river reached Cassius' ears first, followed by a tingling sensation in his limbs. His eyes snapped open to find a pair of curious eyes staring down at him. Blinking against the sunlight, Cassius tried to move, but his body was sluggish, trapped in slow motion, resisting his commands. He strained to speak, but the stranger leaned closer before he could. 

"Hey there, what happened?" the voice slurred, thick with an unfamiliar accent.

The boy, perhaps seven or ten years old, was dressed in ragged, dirty clothes. His hair stood at odd angles, and his face bore traces of bread and cheese from the meal he'd eaten that morning or the night before.

The sun had risen, casting long, golden rays under the Carnich Bridge. Cassius could hear the subdued morning activity—hushed voices, the faint clatter of wheels on cobblestones. Though quieter than other towns he had traveled through, the sounds were unmistakable. For once, Cassius couldn't determine how many hours he'd spent with the Axis of Seraphim or how long he'd been unconscious on the shore.

The young boy tilted his head in curiosity when Cassius didn't answer. Without a word, he pulled down the hood of his cloak and turned away.

 "Hey, where're you going?"

Cassius felt countless eyes boring into his back. He looked around, eyes wide and heart pounding in his chest. For the first time in over two decades, he felt like an eight-year-old boy again, lost and abandoned by his mother in a crowded market. He remembered running barefoot, panic rising in his throat as he searched desperately for his only living family member. Everyone stared at him, pointed fingers, and whispered behind their hands. Those feelings of fear, abandonment, and ridicule had stayed with him for years, lingering in the shadows of his mind until he learned to blend into the shadows. He mastered wielding arm-length daggers, using bows and blow tubes. Eventually, he transformed into a notorious bounty hunter.

Cassius stumbled through the entrance of the inn. The innkeeper looked up at him with wide eyes but said nothing, watching Cassius' every move as he crossed the lounge and headed toward the stairs. Once, he was in the narrow, empty hallway, despite the early morning hour when people usually headed to work, and he stopped to gather himself.

"Dammit," he whispered. He had already caught enough attention on his way here. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the folded piece of paper he had been holding onto ever since he had left the embankment. It had been in his tunic's pocket when he regained consciousness.

 We'll be watching you.

The message read. Beneath the neatly scribbled words was the symbol of the Axis of Seraphim. Cassius clenched his jaw, suddenly regretting taking the job. But then he thought of his life back in the small town, filled with petty jobs, and straightened up. No, he wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him. He had spent years schooling himself to indifference, and now, at the start of a life-changing opportunity, he couldn't afford to hesitate.

As Cassius walked toward his room, he pulled back the hood of his cloak and held his head high. Before turning the knob, he paused and listened, ensuring no hidden assailants were waiting for him. Satisfied, he entered. The moment his eyes fell on his bed, a grin formed on his face.

A package lay in the center of his bed, marked with a red cross—indicating that it was from the Axis of Seraphim. Its presence meant the organization knew he would agree to their terms. Whether he appeared desperate or overly confident, he didn't care. 

Moving forward, Cassius picked up the package and opened it. Inside were a few scrolls. Cassius reviewed them without even sitting down, absorbing the instructions with caution. At a glance, his mission seemed simple, like the others he had undertaken: tracking down a doctor who appeared to be killing his patients instead of curing them. Suspicion arose when the loved ones found empty graves. The doctor's whereabouts were unknown, and Cassius's task was to track him down and bring him to the Axis of Seraphim. He was certain there was more to the story and was itching to find out what.

Cassius didn't hesitate to prepare for the mission. He checked his quiver of arrows, the sharpness of his arm-length blades, and the needles for his blow tube that he'd restocked before arriving at Aeston.

When he stepped out of the inn, the Aeston sky was dark. Storm clouds loomed, dark and threatening, spilling across the open plains like ocean waves. Cassius could smell the impending rain, and the townspeople scrambled as lightning charged through the clouds.

Cassius wasn't one for dark omens, but the sight of the storm sent a jolt of alarm through his veins. Bracing himself, he mounted his horse and headed west. His first destination was a small coastal village with a population of around four thousand. Most of the residents were fishermen, prone to various diseases, and it was there that the doctor had first volunteered to help the people. 

According to the information provided by the organization, Zenior was a doctor in his early forties. He was unheard of before appearing in the small coastal town of Lastmoor. While the townspeople were initially skeptical, their desperation led them to accept him into their midst. 

The rising number of deaths caused people to question Zenior's credibility. They reported him to the local administration, which initially ignored their pleas, arguing that the disease was severe enough and that people shouldn't blame the only person who had volunteered to help. However, when the bodies of their loved ones began to vanish, the administration finally took notice. By then, Zenior had disappeared along with the bodies.

After Lastmoor, a similar situation had arisen in another town, a fortnight's ride away—Kilfall. Though smaller than Lastmoor, Kilfall had already seen three families disappear by the time the authorities reported the bodies' vanishing. Although the authorities could only determine that the suspect was a doctor in his forties, this was the extent of what the Axis of Seraphim knew about Zenior. His whereabouts remained a mystery, but the inexplicable absence of bodies was enough to put the organization on high alert.

Cassius could visit Kilfall first, but he wanted to see what Zenior had done in Lastmoor. Every clue about the doctor would be valuable for the task ahead. Cassius was convinced Zenior would have left a pattern; criminals often did, especially when acting on premeditated plans.

As Cassius' horse trudged out of Aeston, the locals barricaded their doors and windows against the ominous storm. Cassius began to strategize, aware there was much to prepare before he could start his hunt.

Stay tuned for the next chapter on 1/31/25